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2019 Social Justice /
Human Rights / Feminist Dates

* 1/1: Ethics Day--Day to commit to cultivating personal honor.
[Using reason and compassion to determine what is right and what is
wrong, choose to do right: do what is right despite pressure/orders to
do otherwise; do what is right even when no authority would require it;
do what is right even when no one would know of it; do what is right
even when it would cost money, take time, require effort, or exact
sacrifice; do what is right even when wrongdoing will not be punished;
and make atonement for harm done even when it is not required. Take
responsibility for your words and actions (and silence and inaction).
And demand the same from your government and religious leaders.]
[Neither temptation, perceived need, past wrongs, the compulsion of
addiction, nor the impaired judgment of intoxication excuse wrongdoing.]

* 1/1: Day the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect freeing
Confederate slaves (1863); day to mourn African victims of slavery and
racism (past and present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of
African Americans.
[President Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation
Proclamation on 9/22/1862.][Text of Emancipation
Proclamation] [While some Europeans (with the help of Africans) enslaved
Africans in the past, not all Europeans at the time approved of slavery or the
slave trade. Some actively opposed it. And no ethnic European alive today participated in slavery or the
slave trade. While it is appropriate to expect atonement from the governments of
the countries that participated, it is immoral to blame all ethnic Europeans
today for the evil committed by some Europeans in the past.]

* 1/1: Day the first woman was ordained an Episcopalian priest in the
U.S. (1977). [Rev. Jacqueline Means]

* 1/6 eve: Rosh Chodesh--Jewish women gather to worship the
Shekhinah, the feminine manifestation of Elohim, the one universal
Deity; and to pray and act for peace, social justice, and environmental
healing, to bring about Tikkun Olam (reparation of the world and
reunification of the Divine). [For discussion of the Shekhinah as the feminine Divine Presence honored at Rosh Chodesh, see
Wikipedia article on Shekhinah
and
"Women and Rosh Chodesh"
from My Jewish Learning.] ["Elohim" is a masculine plural
of a feminine Hebrew word that refers to a singular Deity whose unity
incorporates both masculine and feminine elements. See
Wikipedia article on Elohim. Kabbalists believe that estrangement between
the Divine masculine and feminine elements has resulted in violence, injustice,
and environmental destruction, but human action can bring about reparation and
reunification. See "The History of 'Tikkun
Olam'" by Jill Jacobs. While Kabbalists, Jewish feminists, the Jewish Renewal
Movement, and many Reconstructionist and Reform Jews perceive Elohim as
gender-inclusive, other Jews do not. Some Jews of all denominations perceive
Elohim as genderless, but most Orthodox and Conservative Jews perceive Elohim as
exclusively male. See
"The Divine Feminine in Kabbalah: An Example of Jewish Renewal"
from My Jewish
Learning.] [a/k/a Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat, Rosh Chodesh Shivat,
Rosh Chodesh Shivath, Rosh Chodesh Shevat, beginning of the Jewish month of
Shevat]

* 1/7: Beginning of 3 days of Islamic terrorists attacks, killing 17
people at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine, at a Jewish market, and
elsewhere in/near Paris, France (2015). [A Muslim police officer was among those who were killed at the office, and a Muslim man secreted patrons at the
market to protect them.] [Following the attacks, Muslim governments and
organizations condemned the attacks. Also following the attacks, 50+ anti-Muslim
incidents occurred in France.] [While 4 Muslims participated in these attacks,
and while some Muslims have participated in and supported other acts of Islamic
terrorism, most Muslims are horrified by such acts done in the name of their
religion. It is immoral to hold all Muslims responsible for the acts of a few.]
[It is moral and laudable to condemn those who commit evil acts, including
killings, torture, persecution, and discrimination. However, using "freedom of
speech" as a justification for inciting hatred or violence against all Muslims
(or Jews or Christians), or for bullying Muslims (or Jews or Christians) by
ridiculing non-harmful aspects of their religion or culture, particularly when
they are a disempowered minority group in one's country, is immoral, even if it is legal.
Though legally-protected speech should not be censored or the source
punished, when such incitement or bullying occurs, all moral people should use
"freedom of speech" to reveal the hate speech for what it is and publicly
condemn it. But regardless of the
provocation, violence against noncombatants is illegal and immoral.] [See
Wikipedia article
on Charlie Hebdo Shooting and
RT News
article on the anti-Muslim aftermath.]

* 1/8: Death day of Galileo (1642), astronomer; day to mourn the
persecution of scientists by religious authorities. [Birthday 2/15/1564]

* 1/12: Day genocide was outlawed world-wide (1951); day to mourn all
victims of genocide. [Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide: signed/adopted 12/9/1948; entered into force
1/12/1951.][Text
of Convention] [For more information, see Prevent
Genocide International website.]

* 1/13: Death day of George Fox (1691), founder of the Quakers.
Quakers experience Deity within and practice egalitarianism, social
activism, and peacefulness. [Born 7/1624: exact date unknown]

* 1/21: Day the Supreme Court (5-4) struck down the federal campaign
finance reform law, finding that it violated corporations' right to free
speech (2010). By equating money with speech, and corporations with
people, the Court undermined our democratic system of government and
authorized a pay-to-play political system, enabling wealthy individuals
and corporations to have disproportionate influence on politicians, the
political process, legislation, and government decision making.
[Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S.
50 (2010)] [Text
of case] [See also
Wikipedia article on campaign finance reform;
Common Cause website;
Democracy Matters website.]

* 1/24: Day a police officer in Toronto, Canada, told women to not
dress like sluts to avoid sexual assault, expressing a common
misperception about sexual assault (2011). Since then, "SlutWalk" has
endeavored to raise consciousness world-wide against the attitude that
women provoke sexual violence by the way they dress. [Men are solely
responsible for their actions; they cannot blame women for their sexual
violence. Immodest dress does not justify sexual assault.]

* 1/26: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Somalia. [The Somali civil war has been
ongoing since the socialist government of Siad Barre was ousted on
1/26/1991. (Barre had ruled since a 10/21/1969 military coup d'etat.)
Somaliland declared its independence on 5/18/1991 and has been
autonomous since. Multiple rebel groups vied for power over the
remainder of Somalia. The U.N.'s peacekeeping mission from 1992-1995
attempted to provide order and humanitarian relief, but was
unsuccessful. On its withdrawal, factions consolidated control over
different parts of Somalia. A federal transitional government was formed
on 5/5/2000 and an internationally-recognized government was inaugurated
on 8/20/2012.] [In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union, an Islamist
organization, occupied the south, but were ousted by the end of the
year. Al-Shabaab (a/k/a Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen) formed when
the Islamic Courts Union splintered. Al-Shabaab has been fighting
government troops since that time. It has occupied parts of southern and
central Somalia since 2007, imposing a severe form of Islamic law
(Sharia) on those under its control. Al-Shabaab is grounded in Sunni
Islam, while Somalis are largely Sufi Muslims. Al-Shabaab has attacked
Sufi clerics, mosques, and shrines. Al-Shabaab has also attempted to
eliminate "western" influences and has banned the teaching of science in
schools. People caught not attending the mandatory prayers have been
flogged. Women have also been flogged for wearing traditional Somali
clothing (instead of expensive imported abayas), for engaging in
commerce, and for mixing with men. Those accused of some crimes have had
limbs amputated or been executed.] [In 2012, Al-Shabaab Emir Mukhtar Abu
Zubair (Ahmed Abdi Godane) announced a merger with Al-Qaeda and planned
international attacks. However, Al-Shabaab Deputy Emir Mukhtar Robow
(Abu Mansur) opposed this alliance and wanted Al-Shabaab to focus on the
Islamization of Somalia. Following Ahmed Abdi Godane's death in 2014,
Emir Abu Ubaidah (Ahmad Umar) confirmed the alliance with Al-Qaeda.] [Somali government troops have been
aided by Ethiopian troops (2006-2009), African Union troops (since
2007), and U.S. airstrikes. During the course of the war, thousands of
civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been
displaced.] [See Wikipedia articles on
Somali Civil War,
Somaliland,
Transitional Federal Government,
Federal Government of Somalia, and
Al-Shabaab (Militant Group).] [For information on the human rights
situation in Somalia, see
Human Rights Watch report: Somalia;
Amnesty International report: Somalia.] [Al-Shabaab violates Islam's
prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to
tolerate Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to treat
women with respect, and violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit
of knowledge.]

* 1/27: Day to mourn the anti-Islamic xenophobic rhetoric and actions
of the Trump administration. [President Donald Trump
signed the Muslim Travel Ban, an executive order banning the entry of
non-U.S. citizens from some Muslim-majority countries on 1/27/2017.]
[Executive Order 13769 banned most travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. As a result of the order, over 700
travelers were detained at the border or stranded in transit, and almost
60,000 previously-approved visas were revoked. The purported basis of
the ban was to prevent terrorist attacks. However, before the order was
signed, no terrorist attack had been committed in the U.S. by citizens
of those countries, and government experts concluded that they did not
pose a higher risk. Based on President Trump’s anti-Islamic rhetoric,
federal courts concluded that the executive order was intended to
discriminate on account of religion, in violation of the U.S.
Constitution. A nation-wide temporary restraining order was issued on
2/3/2017, which was upheld on 2/9/2017. Executive Order 13769 was
replaced by Executive Order 13780 on 3/6/2017, which instituted a
modified form of the Muslim Travel Ban. However, courts also prevented
its enforcement on 3/15/2017. Executive Order 13780 was subsequently
modified by Presidential Proclamations 9645 and 9723 to get around
judicial objections. It was not until appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court
that a diluted version of the Muslim Travel Ban was allowed to be
enforced on 6/26/2018. See Wikipedia articles on
Executive
Order 13769,
Executive
Order 13780, and
Legal Challenges to the Trump Travel Ban.]

* 1/29: Day the Federal Trade Commission found "revenge porn" to be
an unfair business practice and banned it (2015). ["Revenge porn" is
the practice of purchasing women's nude photos and identifying information from
ex- boyfriends, posting them on a website without the women's consent, and
making the women pay money to remove them.] [The F.T.C. issued an order banning
Craig Brittain from the practice. Ironically, Brittain later objected to the
posting of his own (clothed) images on the internet linking him to his own
"revenge porn" website.] [See
Federal Trade Commission news release and Washington Post articles on the
F.T.C. order and the
filing to have Google remove his image from the internet.]

* 2/1: Day President Abraham Lincoln approved the U.S. Constitution's
13th Amendment, outlawing all slavery (1865). [The 13th Amendment was
approved by Congress on 1/31/1865 and, after ratification by the states,
was proclaimed in effect on 12/18/1865.] [a/k/a National Freedom Day]

* 2/1 to 2/28: Ethnic Equality Month--Time to honor all peoples and
their positive traditions; time to meditate on the equality of all
peoples, on the respect due to them, and on God-Goddess manifesting as
African, Asian, Oceanic, Middle Eastern, European, Hispanic, and Native
American. [Expands idea of African-American History Month a/k/a Black
History Month.]

* 2/3: Day B'Tselem was founded to raise consciousness about the
plight of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories (1989). [B'Tselem (the Israeli Information Center for
Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) is an organization that seeks to change
Israeli policy in the Occupied Territories by confronting the Israeli government
and people with accurate information about human rights abuses and injustices
perpetrated by Israelis on residents in the Occupied Territories.] [See B'Tselem
website.]

* 2/6: Day to mourn all the women and girls who have been subjected
to female genital mutilation. [Female genital mutilation is
also known as "F.G.M." and "female circumcision". F.G.M. results in severe pain,
bleeding, disfigurement, urine retention, recurrent infections, painful
menstruation, sexual dysfunction, infertility, and complications in childbirth.]
[International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting
established on 2/6/2003 by the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices
Affecting the Health of Women and Children (I.A.C.).]
[See World Health
Organization (W.H.O.) Fact Sheet on F.G.M.] [See also
Gender Equity
in Islam (which indicates F.G.M. predates Islam, is not mentioned in the
Qur'an, and is not mandated by any hadith) and an
Islamic fatwa condemning
the practice of F.G.M. (ruling that F.G.M. is inconsistent with Islam
because it causes harm to women) by Professor Ali Gom'a, Grand Mufti of Egypt
(11/24/2006).] [For more information about F.G.M., see Female
Genital and Sexual Mutilation - Bibliography.]

* 2/10: Day the Supreme Court concluded that the First Amendment
Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, in conjunction with the
Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause, prohibits the government
from favoring one religion over another and prohibits the government
from favoring or disfavoring religion (1947). [Everson v.
Board of Education of Ewing
Township, 330 U.S. 1 (1947)] [Text
of case] [Text
of First Amendment and
Text of 14th Amendment] [Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 2 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) similarly
prohibit discrimination on account of religion.]

* 2/18: Nazi Resistance Day--Day to honor those who resisted Adolph
Hitler's Nazi government during World War II. Members of the resistance
attempted coups, rescued Jews, committed sabotage, encouraged work
slow-downs, published anti-Nazi leaflets and newspapers, and conveyed
information to the Allies.
[The Nazis (aided by European collaborators) committed
genocide, and invaded and occupied most of Europe and North Africa.
Despite brainwashing of the population and execution of political dissidents,
there were resistance movements (both organized and unorganized) in Germany and
in all of the occupied countries. They were particularly active in Yugoslavia,
Poland, France, Norway, Greece, and the Netherlands. See Wikipedia articles on
the German Resistance
and
Resistance During World War II.] [2/18/1943 was the day leaders of the White
Rose, Hans and Sophie Scholl, were arrested for distributing leaflets at the
University of Munich that advocated active opposition to the Nazi regime. Both
were executed four days later. See
Wikipedia article on the White
Rose.] [Though many Germans supported the Nazis, some Germans gave
their lives in resistance. As did other Europeans. And virtually all Germans
(and Europeans) alive today disapprove of the Nazis' actions. While it is
appropriate to expect atonement from the German government, it is immoral to
blame all Germans (or Europeans) today for the evil committed by the Nazis in
the past.]

* 2/18: Day Iranian police destroyed the shrine of the 14th-century
Sufi poet and dervish Naser Ali, the holiest site of the Nematollahi
Gonabadi Sufi community (2009). Vigil for the end of persecution of
Sufis by Shi'as and for religious tolerance of all Muslims by all
Muslims. [Some
Shi'a Muslims consider Sufi Muslims to be heretics. In addition to desecrating
and destroying Sufi holy sites, Iran detains, flogs, and exiles Sufi leaders.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 2/19: Day President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the internment of
loyal Japanese Americans during World War II (1942); day to mourn Asian
victims of internment and exclusion (past and present), make peace, and
celebrate empowerment of Asian Americans. [The internment was authorized
by Executive Order 9066.] [While Emperor Hirohito's Japanese government
attacked the U.S., Japanese Americans did not authorize or approve of
the attack. While it was appropriate to blame the Japanese government
for the war against the U.S., it was immoral to blame all ethnic
Japanese for the acts of the Japanese government.]

* 2/20: Social Justice Day--Day to affirm that social justice is a
moral imperative, encompassing equal rights, freedoms, and protections
under law.
[A peaceful world is a world in which social justice is realized, where
there are no barriers or mistreatment because of gender, sexual orientation,
ethnicity, religion, culture, nationality, age, or disability.] [See
U.N. website on World
Day of Social
Justice.] [a/k/a World Day of Social
Justice, World Social Justice Day]

* 2/22 (Obs. 2/18): Birthday of George Washington (1732), first
president of the U.S. [Though he was a revolutionary war general, he
ensured that the military was subordinate to the civilian government and
that the transition of power from one administration to the next was
peaceful and orderly.] [Death day 12/14/1799] [a/k/a President's Day]
[As Presidents' Day, Abraham Lincoln's birthday (2/12/1809) is also
celebrated.]

* 3/1 to 3/31: Gender Equality Month--Time to honor both genders;
time to meditate on the equality of women and men, on the respect due to
both women and men, and on Goddess-God manifesting as woman and man.
[Expands idea of Women's History Month.]

* 3/2: Day to mourn the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti for proposing
reform of Pakistan's blasphemy law (2011). [Blasphemy
laws have been used as a pretext to persecute members of minority Muslim
sects, non-Muslims, dissidents, academics, and journalists. Even
unintentional offense is considered blasphemy. Blasphemy is punishable
by death in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan; and is
punishable by imprisonment in Egypt and Indonesia. The religions of
others should be respected, but freedom of speech should be respected,
too.] [Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
freedom of expression.]

* 3/4: Civics Education Day. Democracy can exist only with an
educated electorate. [Only an educated electorate will demand free and fair elections and
participate in the process. Only an educated electorate will demand a
transparent, non-corrupt, responsive government. Only an educated electorate
will demand checks on government powers. Only an educated electorate will demand
rule of law and uniform enforcement of law. Only an educated electorate will
know their rights, freedoms, and protections under domestic and international
law. Only an educated electorate will demand equality and justice for all.] [The U.S. government first became operational on 3/4/1789,
following ratification of the U.S. Constitution.] [See
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Civics Education
website.]

* 3/5: Day the Pakistani Taliban destroyed the shrine of the
17th-century Sufi poet-saint Abdur Rahman Baba (2009). Vigil for the end
of persecution of Sufis by Sunnis and for religious tolerance of all
Muslims by all Muslims.
[Some Sunni Muslims consider Sufi Muslims to be heretics.
Sufis are persecuted in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Somalia.] [Rahman
Baba advocated love and tolerance: "Sow flowers, so your surroundings become a
garden. Don't sow thorns; for they will prick your feet. We are all one body.
Whoever tortures another, wounds himself."] [Articles 2 and 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 3/7 eve to 3/8 eve: Remembrance day for Sufi saint Haji Bektash (d.
1337). He initiated women into his order equally with men and advocated
gender equality in Islamic society. [The Bektashi order is also open to
all ethnicities, nationalities, and classes. See
Bektashi Sufi Order website.
The Qur'an says: "All are equal, regardless of
gender or ethnicity; nobility is shown by conduct alone." See
Qur'an Surah 49 Vs. 13.]
[Rajab 1] [Birthday & death day unknown]

* 3/8: Vigil for peace, democratic government, and respect for the
human rights of all in Syria. [The 2011 unrest that grew out of the
"Arab Spring" revolution became a civil war between the government and various
factions, including both pro-democratic and Sunni Islamist groups. In the course
of this war, the Syrian government has committed human rights abuses and used
chemical weapons against civilians. See
Wikipedia article on Syrian Civil War.] [Following subjugation of areas in
Iraq and Syria, on 6/29/2014, the organization that now calls itself the
"Islamic State" (p/k/a Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad/Organization of Monotheism
and Jihad), led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri), declared a
world-wide Islamic caliphate. However, it has not been recognized as a
government or an Islamic caliphate. (To be recognized as an Islamic caliphate,
it must be recognized by Islamic clerics and the Muslim populace throughout the
world. The caliph must be chosen by Allah and elected by the Muslim people.)
"Islamic State" has committed human rights abuses against civilians (primarily
against Christians, Yazidis, Druze, Shabaks, Mandeans, and Shi'a Muslims).
Thousands have been massacred, tortured, and forced to convert. Non-Muslim women
and girls have been raped and sold into sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). It
has imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on those under its control and has
killed civilian Sunni Muslims who refuse to pledge allegiance to it. And it has
committed war crimes against Syrian and Iraqi combatants.] ["Islamic State" has
allied itself with militant groups, and claimed territory, in Libya, Sinai,
Algeria, and elsewhere. It has also threatened international attacks.] ["Islamic State"
violates Islam's prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's
mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to
protect "People of the Scripture", and violates Islam's mandate to treat women
with respect.] [The government's coalition (including Russia) and the rebels' coalition
(including the U.S.) have
largely defeated the "Islamic State", but they continue to fight each
other.] [See
Wikipedia article on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. For information
on the human rights situation in Syria, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Syria;
Amnesty International report: Syria.] [3/8 is Syria's national holiday.
March 8 Revolution Day celebrates the day the Baath Party seized power by coup
d'etat in 1963.]

* 3/10: Death day of Harriet Tubman (1913), who risked her life to
guide slaves to freedom. [Birthday unknown]

* 3/12: Day Pope John Paul II, in the name of the Catholic Church,
asked Deity's forgiveness and apologized: to Christians of other
denominations for intolerance to them, to Jews for anti-Semitism, to
peoples of all non-Christian religions for intolerance and contempt for
their religious traditions, to women for their humiliation and
marginalization, and to the poor and the powerless for indifference to
them (2000). [On the first Sunday in Lent in the Jubilee Year, as a part of the
liturgy of the Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Pope John Paul
II made this public confession with the aid of seven cardinals and bishops. See
Transcript of Confession and Request for Forgiveness.] [While the Catholic
Church instigated the Crusades, forcibly converted non-Christians, and killed
Christian dissidents, ordinary Catholics at the time had no say in it. Nor did
any Christian alive today. While it is appropriate to expect atonement from the
Catholic Church, it is immoral to blame all Catholics/Christians for the past abuses
committed by the Church.]

* 3/15: Corporate Tax day--Day to give back to the community for the
benefits of community. [Corporations should adopt a triple bottom line
(people, planet, and profit) to support the consumers, environment, and
countries that support them: to pay for schools, libraries, hospitals,
community centers, and parks; roads, bridges, and transit; fire, police,
and military protection; health and safety requirements; food and drug
inspections; regulation of financial institutions; equal rights
enforcement; and environmental protection.] [Corporations that don't
want to pay their fair share of taxes should move to a country where
there are no taxes - and shouldn't do business here.]

* 3/16: Day Pope John Paul II expressed remorse for the failure of
Christians to prevent the murder of six million Jews during World War II
(1998). [This was expressed in
"We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah".] [Pope Pius XII, who became Pope
in 1939, was silent about the Nazi persecution of Jews, other than a 1942
Christmas message that acknowledged that "hundreds of thousands of
persons...because of nationality or race, have been consigned to death".] [However, Pope John Paul II planned to beatify Pope Pius XII, until protests
dissuaded him. And, in spite of protests, on 9/3/2000, he beatified anti-Semitic Pope Pius IX
(who, on 7/14/1555, revoked Jews' previously-recognized rights and required Jews
to live in a walled ghetto).]

* 3/18: Day the first bat mitzvah occurred - in Reconstructionist
Judaism (1922). [In order to mark her religious coming-of-age, Rabbi
Mordecai Kaplan had his daughter, Judith Kaplan, read the Torah and
recite the blessings before the congregation. He wanted to recognize the
equality of Jewish girls to boys, to recognize girls' obligation to
fulfill the commandments, and to encourage girls to study the Torah. Bat
mitzvahs are now universally practiced in Reconstructionist Judaism,
Reform Judaism, and Conservative Judaism. Some congregations of Orthodox
Judaism also conduct them.]

* 3/18: Day the first woman served as imam, leading a public,
mixed-gender, Muslim congregation in Jum'ah prayer, and delivering the
sermon (2005). [Dr. Amina Wadud is an Islamic scholar, feminist, and professor at Virginia
Commonwealth University. Dr. Wadud is the author of "Qur'an and Women: Rereading
the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective," the first interpretive reading of
the Qur'an by a woman. Dr. Wadud says that the Prophet Muhammad approved the
practice of women leading mixed-gender prayer.] [See
BBC News article.] [Since 3/18/2005, other women
have served as imams for mixed-gender congregations.]

* 3/20: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Iraq. [The Iraq War officially lasted from 3/20/2003 to
12/18/2011.] [About the invasion
of Iraq] [See Wikipedia
article on the Iraq War.] [Following subjugation of areas in Iraq and Syria,
on 6/29/2014, the organization that now calls itself the "Islamic State" (p/k/a
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad/Organization of Monotheism and Jihad), led by Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri), declared a
world-wide Islamic caliphate. However, it has not been recognized as a
government or an Islamic caliphate. (To be recognized as an Islamic caliphate,
it must be recognized by Islamic clerics and the Muslim populace throughout the
world. The caliph must be chosen by Allah and elected by the Muslim people.)
"Islamic State" has committed human rights abuses against civilians (primarily
against Christians, Yazidis, Druze, Shabaks, Mandeans, and Shi'a Muslims).
Thousands have been massacred, tortured, and forced to convert. Non-Muslim women
and girls have been raped and sold into sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). It
has imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on those under its control and has
killed civilian Sunni Muslims who refuse to pledge allegiance to it. And it has
committed war crimes against Syrian and Iraqi combatants.] ["Islamic State" has
allied itself with militant groups, and claimed territory, in Libya, Sinai,
Algeria, and elsewhere. It has also threatened international attacks.] ["Islamic State" violates Islam's prohibition against taking
innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other
views, violates Islam's mandate to protect "People of the Scripture", and
violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect.] [On 12/10/2017, the
government of Iraq declared that its coalition has driven the "Islamic
State" out of Iraq.] [See
Wikipedia article on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. For information on the human rights situation in Iraq, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Iraq;
Amnesty International report: Iraq.]

* 3/20: Day Pope Francis urged members of all religions and those who
have no religion to unite to defend peace, justice, and the environment
(2013). [He said: ''We must do much for the good of the poorest, the
weak, and those who are suffering, to favor justice, promote
reconciliation, and build peace." We must recognize our joint
responsibility "to our world, to all of creation, which we have to love
and protect."]

* 3/23: Day the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded by Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad (1889). Ahmadi Muslims preach love for all, hatred for
none.
[See the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community website.] [Ahmadis are persecuted
by Sunni Muslims in Pakistan and Indonesia; they are
harassed in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Egypt. See
Ahmadi website documenting
their mistreatment. Vigil for the end of persecution of Ahmadis by other Muslims
and for religious tolerance of all Muslims by all Muslims.]

* 3/26: Birthday of Leonard Nimoy (1931), who played Spock in "Star
Trek". He taught the importance of thinking, learning, and logic.
[He
showed that the psyche needs more than courage (Captain James
Kirk/William Shatner) and caution (Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy/DeForest
Kelley) to overcome the challenges of life; it needs logic. He showed
that logic can make the ego impervious to mistreatment and bullying. He
showed that logic can help determine justice and resolve conflict. And
he showed that compassion is logical.] [Death day 2/27/2015]

* 3/28: Death day of Scott Cunningham (1993), who taught a reverent,
ethical, egalitarian, and ecological form of Wicca. Wiccans create
sacred space by calling on the powers of the four directions, invoke the
Lord and Lady in their various guises, and raise power (through
drumming, dance, and chant) to realize a positive purpose.
[Birthday
6/27/1956]

* 3/29: Birthday of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819), who founded Reform
Judaism in 1873. He advocated reforms in the service, including family
pews, a mixed choir, and counting women in forming a minyan (religious
quorum).
[Death day 3/26/1900] [Reform Judaism affirms personal
autonomy and the fundamental right of the individual to determine beliefs and
practices. It is committed to social justice and inclusion of women equally with
men.] [See Union for Reform Judaism website.]

* 3/30: Day the U.S. Constitution's 15th Amendment went into effect,
recognizing the right of all ethnic peoples to vote (1870). [The 15th
Amendment was approved by Congress on 2/26/1869 and, after ratification by the
states, was proclaimed in effect on 3/30/1870.] [Text
of amendment]

* 3/31: Transgender Visibility Day--Day to mourn the discrimination,
harassment, and persecution that transgender people are subjected to.
[Transgender people should be treated with respect
and compassion. Laws should recognize "transgender" as a third gender
and prohibit discrimination, harassment, and violence against
transgender people. Public accommodations should provide transgenders
their own restroom and locker room.] [Some countries allow
identification as a third gender instead of "male" or "female":
Australia "indeterminate" (2003) & "other" (2013), Nepal
"indeterminate/intersex/unspecified" (2007), India "eunuch" (2009) &
"hijra" (2014), Pakistan "third gender" (a/k/a "khawaja sara") (2009),
Bangladesh "hijra" (2013), Germany "no gender identified" (2013), and
New Zealand "gender diverse" (2015).] [In humans, a female is
biologically determined by XX chromosomes and a male is biologically
determined by XY chromosomes. However, some individuals have 3 or more X
chromosomes, only 1 X chromosome, XXY chromosomes, or XYY chromosomes.]
[There are (at least) 3 distinct types of transgender people. Some are
born with both male and female genitalia (a/k/a "intersex"). Some are
born with the genitalia of one gender, but during adolescence reject
their gender, along with the patriarchal stereotypes and expectations
associated with their gender, in order to live the life they want to
live. And some, even after living as one gender until middle age,
embrace the gender stereotypes of the opposite gender and take hormones
and/or undergo surgery in order to live as that gender.] [Though the
latter (a/k/a "transsexual") equate gender stereotypes with gender (and
should be free to do so), many progressive people refuse to equate
gender stereotypes with gender. They consider those stereotypes to be
sexist, find it offensive for their gender to be defined in terms of
those stereotypes, and do not want those stereotypes imposed on them. See commentary by former Women
Studies Professor Elinor Burkett "What
Makes a Woman?"]
[a/k/a
International Transgender Day of Visibility]

* 3/31: Birthday of Cesar Chavez (1927), who won recognition of
migrant workers' rights through organization and non-violent protest.
[Death day 4/23/1993]

* 4/1: Vigil for freedom of religion in Iran. [Shi'a Islam
is the official religion. While some other Muslim sects and non-Muslim religions
are officially recognized, some are not. Those that are not recognized
(particularly Baha'is) and even some that are recognized (particularly Sunni
Muslims, Sufi Muslims, Zoroastrians, and evangelical Christians) are
discriminated against, harassed, or persecuted. Jews are vilified.] [See
U.S. State
Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2014: Iran.] [Articles
2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [4/1 is Islamic Republic Day, the day the Iranian people
voted in 1979 to become an Islamic Republic.]

* 4/1: Day that same-sex marriage was first legally recognized
(2001).
[The first countries to legalize same-sex marriage were:
Netherlands (2001), Belgium (2003), Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa
(2006), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Portugal (2010), Iceland (2010), Argentina
(2010), Mexico (Mexico City marriages are recognized throughout Mexico) (2010),
Denmark (2012), Brazil (2013), France (2013), Uruguay (2013), New Zealand
(2013), the U.K. (except Northern Ireland) (2014), Luxembourg (2015), and
Ireland (2015). The
first U.S. states to legalize same-sex marriage were: Massachusetts (2004),
Connecticut (2008), Iowa (2009), Vermont (2009), New Hampshire (2010),
Washington, D.C. (2010), New York (2011), Washington (2012), Maine (2012),
California (2008/2013), Maryland (2013), Delaware (2013), Minnesota (2013),
Rhode Island (2013), New Jersey (2013), Hawaii (2013), New Mexico (2013), and
Utah (2013). Thereafter, some states legalized same-sex marriage
through court orders finding the state bans on same-sex marriage
unconstitutional. The remaining states were forced to legalize same-sex marriage
on 6/26/2015, when the Supreme Court recognized that the right to marry is a
fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and that same-sex
couples cannot be deprived of that right.] [Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. _
(2015)] [Text
of case] [The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996, banned same-sex
marriage under federal law and allowed states to not recognize same-sex
marriages contracted elsewhere. However, the Supreme Court struck down DOMA on 6/26/2013, finding that
barring tax benefits to a surviving lesbian spouse violated the spouse's equal
protection and liberty interests under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth
Amendment.] [United States v. Windsor, 570 U.S. _ (2013)] [Text
of case] [Some countries have long recognized same-sex civil unions or
domestic partnerships instead.] [For more information, see
Wikipedia article on
same-sex marriage.] [Christian denominations that
perform same-sex marriage ceremonies include the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Episcopal Church, the United
Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Metropolitan
Community Church, and the Ecumenical Catholic Church. Congregations of
Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism also perform same-sex marriage
ceremonies. Some Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
meetings, and congregations of Conservative Judaism also perform same-sex
marriage or blessing ceremonies.]

* 4/7: World Health Day--Day to pray for healing of all those
chronically and seriously ill; day to advocate for adequate health care
for all.
[Day the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) was founded in 1948.] [For
information on World Health Day, see World
Health Organization website.] [For information on the World Health
Organization, see World Health Organization
website.]

* 4/11: Day Pope John XXIII called for world peace, recognition of
human rights, and justice under law (1963). He recognized that peace
will only be realized when social justice is realized. [The Pope believed that it is the
function of government to create a juridical order, in harmony with the moral
order. He recognized that each person is vested with rights and duties that are
universal, inviolable, and inalienable. The Pope said that each person has: the
right to live, the right to the means necessary for life, the right to freedom
of speech, the right to pursue the profession of choice, the right to an
education and to receive information about public events, the right to religious
freedom, the right to found a family, the right to work, the right to a just and
living wage and work conditions conducive to family life, the right to own
property, the right of meeting and association, the right to emigrate and
immigrate, the right to participate in public life, and the right to legal
protection of these rights. He indicated that government, with due regard for
the equality of all, has a duty to accommodate the rights and duties of all,
preventing the rights of some to impede the rights of others. Government must be
particularly concerned with the welfare of the weak, minority groups, and
refugees. The Pope believed that governments should, in their international
relations, also act with truth, justice, and respect. He also believed that
wealthier countries should aid the poorer ones. He encouraged countries to work
together through the United Nations and other international entities. The Pope
condemned the arms race and the development of nuclear weapons, and said that
disarmament is necessary for world peace. He disapproved of war, recognizing
that weapons of mass destruction could not serve justice.]
[This is expressed in Pope John XXIII's Encyclical
on Peace on Earth.]

* 4/11: Day France banned Islamic face coverings, undermining Muslim
women's autonomy and freedom of religious expression (2011). Day to
mourn all laws that mandate a dress code in the name of religion or
secularism.
[Banning the covering is no different than mandating it: The face covering (niqab)
is banned in Syria's universities as well as in France, but is mandated in Saudi
Arabia. The full-body covering (burqa) is banned in Syria, but is mandated in
Afghanistan under the Taliban. The scarf (hijab) is banned by Tunisia and Turkey
in public universities and government offices, but is mandated throughout Iran
and Kuwait.] [The Qur'an asks women to "guard their modesty". See Qur'an Surah
24 Vs. 31. It also says women should "cast their outer garments over their
persons (when abroad)". See Qur'an Surah 33 Vs. 58-59. But the Qur'an does not
specify what women must wear, and Muslim women in different countries have
traditionally, and in modern times, interpreted Qur'anic requirements
differently.] [Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
freedom of religious expression.]

* 4/12: Day Saudi Arabia's Islamic authority condemned forced
marriage as un-Islamic and banned the practice (2005). [Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, who heads Saudi Arabia's Council of Senior Ulema (Scholars),
said forced marriage is against Islamic law and those responsible for it should
be jailed. He said: "Forcing a woman to marry someone she does not want and
preventing her from wedding that whom she chooses...is not permissible" under
Islamic law. "Anyone who insists on forcing a woman...to marry against her will
is disobeying God and His Prophet (Muhammad)."] [See
BBC News article.]
[See also
fatwa against forced marriage by Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, Islamic scholar at the
Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.]

* 4/14: Day the Sikh Khalsa was created (1699). Men and women
initiated into the Khalsa seek harmony with the Divine through
introspection and service to the dispossessed.

* 4/15: Tax Day--Day to give back to the community for the benefits
of community. [Give from your own abundance for the betterment of all:
to pay for schools, libraries, hospitals, community centers, and parks;
roads, bridges, and transit; fire, police, and military protection;
health and safety requirements; food and drug inspections; regulation of
financial institutions; equal rights enforcement; and environmental
protection.] [Those who don't want to pay their fair share of taxes
should move to a country where there are no taxes - and no public
services.]

* 4/19 eve to 4/27 eve: Passover/Pesach--Jewish festival recalling
their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and celebrating freedom from
oppression.
[Observed with dietary restrictions, the seder meal (representing their
hardships), and recitation of the Haggadah (relating the Exodus).] [See
"How is This Haggadah Different?" (reviews of various Passover Haggadot)
from My Jewish Learning.] [And see
"Judaism and Human Rights" by Rabbi David Rosen and
Declaration on Judaism and Human Rights. See also
Rabbis for Human Rights website. Rabbis for
Human Rights (Shomrei Mishpat) is the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel,
giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights. It advocates for justice,
equality, and recognition of the human rights of all in Israel and in the
Occupied Territories. But see
Human Rights Watch report: Israel.] [Reform Jews and Reconstructionist Jews
celebrate 7 days instead of 8 days; the first and last days are holy.] [Passover
Truce: Time to cease all forms of conflict (at least temporarily), extend a
greeting to your adversary, and share a seder for peace.] [a/k/a Pesah, Feast of
Unleavened Bread] [Nisan 15-22]

* 4/24: Day the genocidal massacres of Armenians, Greeks, and
Assyrians began in Ottoman Turkey (1915); vigil for true peace, justice,
and respect for the human rights of all in Greater Anatolia. [During and after
World War I, 1.5
million Armenians, 500,000 Greeks, and 300,000 Assyrians were killed.
Able-bodied males were summarily executed or conscripted into forced
labor. Women, children, the elderly, and the infirm were forced on death
marches into the Syrian desert. The Ottoman government and the "Young
Turks" were motivated primarily
by ethnic nationalism to rid Turkey of non-Turks, but they also used religion to foster
hostility against the Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians. Most Turks were Muslim,
while most Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians were Christian.] [The government of
Turkey refuses to acknowledge the deaths to have been an "ethnic
cleansing", genocide, or a crime against humanity.] [On 4/24/1915, 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were detained in
Constantinople; they were later executed.] [a/k/a 1915
Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Medz Yeghern, Greek Genocide, Assyrian Genocide,
Seyfo] [See Genocide 1915 website;
Wikipedia
article on Armenian Genocide;
Wikipedia article on Greek
Genocide; Wikipedia
article on Assyrian Genocide;
BBC article "Q&A:
Armenian Genocide Dispute".] [Defining a country by its ethnicity or
religion is contrary to international law. Using mass deportations or
systematic murder to rid a country of another ethnic group or religion
is also contrary to international law. It is also immoral, regardless of
whether it is committed by or against Muslims, Christians, Jews, or
another religious group.]

* 4/25: Day to take your children to work to teach them the value of
self-sufficiency. [a/k/a Take Our Daughters to Work Day]

* 4/28: Birthday of Oskar Schindler (1908), who protected 1200 Jews
during the Nazi occupation of Poland by employing them in his factory
and convincing the Nazis that they were necessary for the war effort.
[Death day 10/9/1974] [Many Germans and other Europeans in Nazi-occupied
countries risked their lives to protect Jews by hiding them or
transporting them out of Nazi-occupied territory.]

* 4/28: Day publication of photos taken at Abu Ghraib prison revealed
the physical abuse, sexual abuse, and humiliation of prisoners by the
U.S. military, in violation of international law (2004). [All mistreatment
of detainees everywhere should be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.] [See CBC
News Timeline;
Report
of the International Committee of the Red Cross.] [See Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: adopted 12/10/1984; signed 2/4/1985; entered into force 6/26/1987.] [Text of
Convention] [Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 7 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) also
guarantee freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.]

* 5/1: Law Day--Day to celebrate rule of law and freedom from
authoritarian rule (rule of man, rule by force). Where there is rule of
law, the military, the police, civilian government officials (including
the President), and the people are all subject to the law, and
enforcement of the law is uniform - regardless of ethnicity, religion,
and wealth. [It is through rule of law that we have justice and
equality: law enacted by the legislative branch of government,
interpreted by the judicial branch of government, administered/enforced
by the executive branch of government, and always subject to the rights,
freedoms, and protections of the U.S. Constitution.] [President Dwight
Eisenhower proclaimed 5/1 to be Law Day in 1958. Its observance was
codified into law in 1961 by P.L. 87-20, 75 Stat. 43, 36 U.S.C. 113.]

* 5/1: Day Pope John Paul II affirmed that capitalism must be
tempered by social justice and restrained by human rights and
environmental laws (1991). [Pope John Paul II rejected communism and totalitarianism, as well as
consumerism and unbridled capitalism. He reaffirmed the fundamental rights of
workers to their own labor, to dignity in work, to reasonable working
conditions, to humane working hours, to a just and living wage, to a family
life, to associate with other workers for their collective good, and to
participate in a democratic process of governance under the rule of law. He
indicated the government has an obligation to seek full employment of all
workers through its economic policies, to provide social security for those
unable to work, and to provide unemployment insurance and retraining for the
unemployed. He also reaffirmed the right to private ownership of property,
including technology, but cautioned that the government should not favor the
wealthy over the poor. Rather, it is the responsibility of the government to
protect all people, but especially the poor and the vulnerable, from
exploitation by rich and powerful companies, particularly in times of economic
and industrial change. He also indicated that governments should not allow
companies, in the name of capitalism, to exploit the natural resources of the
Earth irresponsibly and destroy the environment.]
[Expressed in Pope John Paul II's Social
Encyclical, issued on the 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the Social
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, which it strives to reinterpret.]

* 5/2: Holocaust Remembrance Day--Day to mourn Jewish victims of
genocide and anti- Semitism, make peace, and celebrate empowerment of
Jewish Americans -- and Jews everywhere.
[Motivated by ethnic nationalism, the Nazi government attempted to rid Germany
and other areas under its control of "non-Aryan races". 6 million Jews were
killed by the Nazis because of their ethnicity and religion. Another 5 million
Slavs and Roma were also killed because of their ethnicity.]
[See Wikipedia article on
the Holocaust; BBC Analysis:
"Genocide Under the Nazis".] [Defining a country by its ethnicity
or religion is contrary to international law. Using mass deportations or
systematic murder to rid a country of another ethnic or religious group is also
contrary to international law. It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is
committed by or against Christians, Jews, Muslims, or another religious group.][a/k/a Yom Hashoa,
Yom Hashoah, Yom HaShoah] [Nisan 27]

* 5/3: World Press Freedom Day--Day to recognize the importance of a
free, independent, pluralistic media world-wide, as a fundamental human
right and essential to democracy. [Democracies are dependent on the
media: to ensure that government processes are transparent, fair, and
non-corrupt; to educate the electorate concerning the facts of important issues
and to reveal misstatements of fact; and to ensure that the people are conscious
of their rights, freedoms, and protections under domestic and international law. It is
important that the media monitor government, industry, and other media. Media
includes both news and entertainment: print media, internet-based media, radio,
television, and film.] [See
U.N. website on Press
Freedom Day.] [Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
freedom of the press.] [For information about freedom of the press, see
Freedom House website
and World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) website.
For media monitoring U.S. politicians, see
FactCheck website. For media monitoring the U.S. media, see
Media Watch website (challenging
racism, sexism, and violence in the media);
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)
website (challenging media bias and censorship of minority and dissenting
viewpoints); Media Matters for America
website (challenging conservative misinformation in the media);
Tyndall Report website (comparing the
coverage and slant of the nightly broadcast news).]

* 5/5: Cinco de Mayo--Day celebrating Mexico's victory over occupying
French forces; day to mourn Hispanic victims of exploitation (past and
present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Hispanic Americans.
[On 5/5/1862, 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated 8,000 better-equipped
French soldiers at the Battle of Puebla.]

* 5/5 to 5/11: Week honoring our professional federal, state, and
local government employees, who make our constitutional democracy work -
free of corruption, partisanship, nepotism, and discrimination.
[The
civil service is the backbone of the government. Good management
strengthens it; poor management weakens it.] ["Privatization" of
government allows private contractors (whose motive is profit, not
public service) to do governmental work. It results in higher costs to
the government, huge profits for the contractors, lower wages for the
workers, reduction in quantity and quality of service provided, and
abuses (e.g., by private prisons, private tax collectors, and private
soldiers).] ["Privatization" of government, arbitrary "downsizing'" of
government, and "deconstruction of the administrative state" are
destruction of government. Destruction of our federal government is
destruction of our country. Those who would like to live in a country
without a functioning government should move to one.] [a/k/a Public
Service Recognition Week a/k/a PSRW]

* 5/12: Tara Puja--Tibetan Buddhist fast of Bodhisattva Goddess Tara.
Day to meditate on and emulate Green Tara's compassion for the sick, the
poor, and the persecuted. [All are equal in Her circles; She is
worshipped with meditations on mandalas and chanting of mantra.] [See
Green Tara Mantra.] [8th Tibetan day]

* 5/14 (Obs. 5/9): Israel's Independence Day (1948). [The
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel of 5/14/1948 asserts
that Israel: "will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the
prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political
rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will
guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it
will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations." The Declaration also promises
the Arabs living there "full and equal citizenship". But the Declaration also
declares Israel to be a "Jewish state".] [See
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel.] [Since its
establishment, Israel has laudably provided citizenship to Jews everywhere to
enable them to "return" to Israel to avoid persecution and discrimination. See
Wikipedia article on Law of
Return. But it has denied the right of return to the Palestinian Muslim
inhabitants who fled during the conflict at its founding in 1948. Many of those
refugees and their descendants continue to be stateless. This exclusion is a
source of ongoing conflict. See
Wikipedia
article on Palestinian Right of Return.] [Defining a country by its
ethnicity or religion is contrary to international law. Excluding or
disempowering another ethnic or religious group is also contrary to
international law. It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by
or against Jews, Muslims, Christians, or another religious group.] [a/k/a Yom
Ha'atzmaut] [Observed Iyar 5]

* 5/14 eve to 5/15 eve: Remembrance day for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
(d. 619 or 623), Mother of Islam - first convert to Islam, partner of
Prophet Muhammad in monogamous marriage, mother of Fatimah, and
liberated businesswoman.
[The Prophet Muhammad did not take a second wife during
Khadijah's lifetime. Khadijah was intelligent and compassionate. She was known for her financial support of Islam,
for
her generosity to the poor, for her protection of orphans, and for freeing
slaves.] [See
Wikipedia article on Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.] [For scholarly discussions of
gender equality in Islam, see
"Members, One of
Another: Gender Equality & Justice in Islam" by Riffat Hassan and
"Gender Equity in Islam" by
Jamal Badawi Ph.D. For an examination of the feminist movement in Islam, see
"Inside the Gender Jihad: Women's Reform in Islam" by Amina Wadud.]
[a/k/a Khadijah al-Kubra (the Great)] [Ramadan 10] [Born in 555, 564, or 565.
Some sources say she died on the 10th or 11th day of Ramadan.]

* 5/15: Peace Officers Memorial Day--Day to honor all police officers
who served honorably and died in the line of duty, enforcing the law and
protecting the people from criminals.

* 5/16: Day to mourn Chairman Mao Zedong's "Cultural Revolutuion" in China
(1966). [It began with a Communist Party purge of those not committed to Mao and
Maoism, but it evolved into an attack on traditional Chinese customs, culture,
and ideas. Between 1966 and 1976, millions of intellectuals, educators,
scientists, writers, and artists were persecuted. Historical, cultural, and
religious artifacts and buildings were damaged or destroyed; and China's
educational system largely ceased to function. In 1981, the Communist Party
acknowledged its devastating impact on China. See
Wikipedia article on
the Cultural evolution.]

* 5/17: Day the Supreme Court concluded that ethnic-based segregation
of schools violates the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause of
the U.S. Constitution (1954). [Brown v.
Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)] [Text
of case] [Text
of Fourteenth Amendment] [Articles 1, 2, and 7 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (Text of
Declaration) and Articles 2, 3, and 26 of the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Text of Covenant)
also recognize the equal rights and freedoms of all and prohibit
discrimination.]

* 5/18: Armed Forces Day--Day to honor all soldiers who serve our
country honorably (consistent with the Geneva Convention, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and the U.S. Constitution) in war and in
peace.

* 5/20: Day the Supreme Court concluded that, under the Free Exercise
Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, freedom of
religious belief is absolute, but the freedom to act on that belief is
subject to nondiscriminatory laws intended to promote public safety,
health, or general welfare of the community (1940). [The religious character of a
regulated entity is not a legitimate basis for non-compliance with those laws.] [Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940)] [Text
of case] [Text
of First Amendment] [Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) similarly guarantee
freedom of religion.]

* 5/20: Day the Supreme Court recognized that discrimination against
lesbians and gays violates the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection
Clause of the U.S. Constitution (1996). [Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 (1996)] [Text
of case] [Text
of Fourteenth Amendment] [Articles 1, 2, and 7 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (Text of
Declaration) and Articles 2, 3, and 26 of the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Text of Covenant)
also recognize the equal rights and freedoms of all and prohibit
discrimination.]

* 5/21: Death day of Jane Addams (1935), social worker, feminist, and
peace advocate. [Birthday 9/6/1860]

* 5/22: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Yemen. [President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been president of
Yemen since its unification in 1990, and had been president of North Yemen since
1978. Saleh's government had been opposed as corrupt since 1994. The minority
Shi'a Muslims (in the north) felt discriminated against by the predominant Sunni
Muslims (in the south). Saleh's government had been fighting Shi'a Houthi
militants in North Yemen since 2004. Saleh's government had been fighting
separatists in South Yemen since 2009. Yemen is the stronghold of Sunni Islamic
terrorist organization Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (a/k/a AQAP), and
Saleh's government had been fighting them since 2010. Saleh was forced to resign
in 2011, following mass protests over his attempt to become president for life.
Vice President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi took over and was subsequently elected
president in 2012. Hadi was ousted by Houthi militants in 2015. Since 2015, the
civil war has been a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Thousands of civilians have been killed due to military operations and
famine.] [See Wikipedia
articles on the
Yemeni Civil War (2015-Present), Yemeni
Revolution,
Houthi
Insurgency in Yemen,
South Yemen
Insurgency, and
Al-Qaeda
Insurgency in Yemen.] [5/22 is Yemen's Unity Day, marking the unification of
North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990.]

* 5/27: Memorial Day--Day to honor all soldiers who fought honorably
and died in war, to mourn all of war's victims, and to contemplate all
the horrors of war.

* 5/28: Day to mourn the forcible relocation of eastern Native
Americans from their traditional tribal lands to the western prairies
(1830). Though some tribes moved voluntarily, others were forced. 4,000
Cherokees died due to forced relocation on the “Trail of Tears” in
1838-1839. [The Indian Removal Act was signed into
law by President Andrew Jackson on 5/28/1830.]

* 5/29: Vigil for peace, freedom of religion, and respect for the
human rights of all in Nigeria. [Secular law protects
freedom of religion in central and southern Nigeria, where the
population is Muslim, Christian, and traditional Yoruba. But in northern
Nigeria, where Muslims predominate and Christians are a minority,
despite constitutional protections, Islamic law (Sharia) has been
imposed in 12 states, beginning in 2000.] [Islamist terrorist
organization Boko Haram (a/k/a Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati
Wal-Jihad/People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings
and Jihad), has also been attempting to overthrow the secular Nigerian
government and impose its extreme form of Islam on the population since
2009. Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf and, since his death in
2009, has been led by Emir Abubakar Shekau. Boko Haram opposes the
"westernization" of Nigeria. It has taken control of many northern
Nigerian towns. It has destroyed churches, mosques, and schools. It has
abducted and killed thousands of civilians, both Christians and moderate
Muslims, many of whom are children. Non Muslims under their control have
been forced to convert. Unmarried women and girls have been sold into
sexual slavery (forced "marriage"). Since 2013, Boko Haram has also made
incursions into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged
allegiance to "Islamic State".] [See
Wikipedia articles on
Sharia in
Nigeria and on
Boko Haram
Insurgency. See also
Human Rights Watch report: Nigeria;
Amnesty International report: Nigeria.] [Boko Haram violates Islam's
prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to
tolerate Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to
protect "People of the Scripture", violates Islam's mandate to treat
women with respect, and violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit
of knowledge.] [5/29 is Nigeria's Democracy Day. Military rule was
replaced with constitutional democracy on 5/29/1999.]

* 6/6: Day the U.S. government's massive surveillance of Americans'
emails and phone calls, without probable cause, in violation of the
Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, was revealed (2013). The
existence of surveillance programs targeting foreign governments,
including long-term allies, was also revealed. [The National Security
Agency is believed to have been aided by the governments of the U.K., Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand. Internet and phone companies have also cooperated.
The purpose of N.S.A.'s domestic and foreign spying programs is to detect
terrorist plots. But the surveillance has been indiscriminate. It is not limited
to those suspected of plotting terrorism. See
Wikipedia article on 2013 Mass Surveillance Disclosures. And see the
Guardian newspaper's
NSA Files.] [There is no effective oversight. Between 1979 and 2012, 33,842
surveillance warrants were approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court (a/k/a F.I.S.C., F.I.S.A. Court); only 11 were rejected. See
Wikipedia article on the F.I.S.C.] [But even the F.I.S.C. ruled that the
N.S.A. surveillance program was unconstitutional - in 2011. See
N.Y. Times article. The surveillance
programs are also being challenged in federal court as violative of constitutional
rights by the
American Civil Liberties Union and by
other
organizations. See
Text of
Fourth Amendment and
Wikipedia article on the Fourth Amendment.] [The existence of the
surveillance programs was classified "secret" to prevent their discovery.
However, use of secrecy classifications to prevent discovery of a constitutional
violation or other abuse of governmental power is illegal and immoral. See Brennan Center for Justice website concerning the
problem of overclassification and the
need
for government transparency and accountability.] [The Guardian newspaper and
other media revealed the surveillance programs. Former N.S.A. contractor Edward
Snowden told the media of the surveillance in order to stop the government
abuse. Snowden has vowed to not reveal any information that could harm any
government agent, or any other person, even under torture. The U.S. government
has charged Snowden with espionage, even though he did not collude with any
foreign government or seek any benefit from any foreign government. Because this
charge could result in disproportionate punishment for a political action,
Snowden has requested asylum from numerous countries. He has been granted asylum
by Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua (conditionally), and Russia (temporarily). 55%
of Americans consider Snowden to be a whistleblower and a hero. Human rights
organizations also support him.]

* 6/10: Tara Puja--Tibetan Buddhist fast of Bodhisattva Goddess Tara.
Day to meditate on and emulate Red Tara as protector of self and others
against evil and harm. [All are equal in Her circles; She is worshipped
with meditations on mandalas and chanting of mantra.] [See
Red Tara Mantra.] [8th Tibetan day]

* 6/10: National Hoodie Day--Wear a hoodie to remember all victims of
vigilante "justice". [6/10/2013 was the first day of George Zimmerman's
trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin. It is undisputed that Zimmerman
was the aggressor (he pursued and confronted Martin), that Zimmerman was
armed (with a gun) and Martin was not, and that Zimmerman could have
waited for the police to intervene (he spoke to the police before the
confrontation). Zimmerman does not even allege that Martin committed a
felony (or any other crime) in his presence. But he was found not guilty
due to Florida's "stand your ground" law, which allows an aggressor to
use deadly force against someone who had not posed an imminent threat
before the aggressor acted. "Stand your ground" is not consistent with
traditional principles of "self defense". "Self defense" only allows a
non-aggressor to use force to prevent imminent injury or repel an attack
by an aggressor when law enforcement is not present. It requires use of
the least amount of force necessary, and requires retreat, where
possible, outside of one's home or car. Deadly force is not allowed
unless there is a reasonable fear of serious injury or death.]

* 6/11: Birthday of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881), founder of
Reconstructionist Judaism. He perceived Deity to be a genderless Cosmic
Force of Nature, and promoted a Judaism that recognizes gender equality
and rejects violence and social injustice. [Death day 11/8/1983][See
article on Mordecai Kaplan.] [Rabbi Kaplan wrote
"The Meaning of God in Modern Jewish Religion" and "Judaism as a
Civilization".] [Reconstructionist Judaism values personal autonomy and democratic decision-making
as well as religious law and tradition. It embraces science and diverse views of
Deity. It exhorts Jews to work for progressive ethical and social evolution in
Judaism and society. See "Who is
a Reconstructionist Jew?" by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation.
See also Jewish Reconstructionist Federation website.]

* 6/12: Vigil for respect for the human rights of all in Russia.
[For information on the human rights situation in Russia, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Russia;
Amnesty International report: Russia.] [6/12 is Russia Day, commemorating
the day the Russian parliament declared Russian sovereignty from the U.S.S.R. in
1990, creating the Russian Federation.]

* 6/13: Christian feast of St. Anthony (d. 1231), guardian of the
poor and the powerless, and guide of social justice activists.

* 6/13: Day the leaked "Pentagon Papers" were first published in the
New York Times (1971). Day to consider the compelling interest in
revealing secret information -- that does not pose a threat to national
security and should be easily accessible in a transparent system -- to
serve as a check on government powers and preserve democracy. Using
secrecy classifications to hide such information is both illegal and
immoral. [Defense Secretary
Robert McNamara commissioned the Vietnam Study Task Force to draft the
officially entitled "United States -- Vietnam Relations, 1945 1967: A Study
Prepared by the Department of Defense". The papers revealed that President
Lyndon Johnson had lied to the public about an alleged North Vietnamese attack on U.S.
ships and used that as a basis for starting the war in Vietnam. The press
published the lie without investigating the facts. The papers also showed that
the government was using secrecy classifications to hide information that
constituted no threat to national security. See Daniel Ellsberg, "Secrets: A
Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers". See also website on
America's
War
in Vietnam.] [The Nixon administration attempted to stop publication of the
papers, but the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment guaranteed the right
to publish them.] [New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971)]
[Text
of case]

* 6/14 (A 7/25): Beginning of Old Egyptian Shomu/Harvest month of
Mesut-Ra/Mesori, dedicated to Neteru Ra and Rait. Priests and
priestesses made offerings to the Neteru (Gods and Goddesses) to ensure
that there would be security and protection for all. [Kemetic calendar]
[Alexandrian calendar 7/25] [Ancient Egyptian calendar: Mesut-Ra day 1]

* 6/16: Birthday of Fr. Sergei Bulgakov (1871), Orthodox Christian
mystic who believed the one universal Deity to be Father and Mother,
Spirit and Matter. [Death day 7/12/1944]

* 6/17: Day to celebrate Starhawk's work in reclaiming the Goddess
and raising Goddess-consciousness. She teaches an eco-egalitarian form
of Wicca. Wiccans advocate for environmental protection and gender
equality out of reverence for Goddess, who controls, and is manifested
in, Nature. [The Wiccan rede is: Do what you will, but harm none.]

* 6/17: Day a fatwa condemned "honor killings" as un-Islamic and
banned the practice (2002). [An "honor killing" is the killing of a
woman by her relatives because she has been raped, is suspected of sexual
activity outside of marriage, is pursuing unauthorized courtship, has refused an
arranged marriage, or is seeking a divorce.] [Sheikh Atiyyah Saqr, former head
of the al-Azhar University Fatwa Committee said "Islam strictly prohibits murder
and killing without legal justification. Allah, Most High, says, 'Whoso slayeth
a believer of set purpose, his reward is Hell for ever. Allah is wroth against
him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom.' (An-Nisa': 93)
The so-called 'honor killing' is based on ignorance and disregard of morals and
laws, which cannot be abolished except by disciplinary punishments...[P]eople
are not entitled to take the law in their own hands, for it's the responsibility
of the Muslim State and its concerned bodies to maintain peace, security, etc.,
and to prevent chaos and disorder from creeping into the Muslim society."][Islamic
fatwa condemning "honor killings"] [See also
"Honor Killings in the Name of Religion" by Mohamad K. Yusuff (Islamic
Research Foundation International);
United Nations Report on Honor Killings.]

* 6/17: Day Pakistan disenfranchised Ahmadi Muslims by requiring them
to declare themselves to be non-Muslim in order to vote (2002). Vigil
for the end of persecution of Ahmadis by other Muslims and for religious
tolerance of all Muslims by all Muslims. [The Sunni Muslim majority in
Pakistan persecutes Ahmadis because they consider them to be heretics. See
Ahmadi website documenting their
mistreatment.] [Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion (and freedom from coercion that
would impair freedom of religion) and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 6/24: Day Saudi Arabian women were first legally allowed to drive
(2018). [Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued a decree
allowing women to drive on 9/27/2017.] [When women were banned from
driving, they were required to rely on male
relatives or hire male drivers to go to work, school, the market, and the
doctor.] [Driving protests contributed to the lifting of the ban. See
Guardian news article.] [Women in Saudi Arabia are also required to have a male guardian and are
prohibited from mixing with men. Some Muslim
scholars say these limitations on women's rights and freedoms are cultural, not
religious: they have no basis in the Qur'an. See
Wikipedia
article on Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia.]

* 6/17: Day to mourn the continuing violence perpetrated
against African-Americans by white supremacists. [On 6/17/2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof shot
and killed 9 worshippers during a Bible study and prayer service at the
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, an historical Black
church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof espoused hatred for Blacks
and hoped to start a race war. He idealized the Confederacy and
apartheid. Roof used a semi-automatic firearm, a military weapon that
has no legal civilian use.] [See
Wikipedia article on Charleston Church Shooting.]

* 6/18: Day Pope Francis challenged the world to make the necessary
changes in lifestyle, consumption, and production to avoid climate
change and its expected harm (2015). [Pope Francis issued this challenge in
his encyclical on climate change: "Laudato Si'" (a/k/a "On Care for Our Common
Home").] [See
Pope Francis' encyclical on climate change: "Laudato Si'".]

* 6/19: Day the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a
resolution in support of the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered individuals, condemning violence and discrimination
because of sexual orientation or gender identity (2011). [See
Wikipedia article.]

* 6/20: World Refugee Day--Day to recognize the plight of the
millions of people who, because of persecution, war, or environmental
disaster, have become refugees: forced to leave their homes, their jobs,
and their countries. [See
U.N. website on
World Refugee Day.]

* 6/21: Taoist festival honoring Shang-Ti/Heavenly Emperor, Father of
Justice and Law, and manifestation of the Te (Virtuous Inner Power).
Also celebrates the peak of the masculine Yang half of the year and the
Shen of Fire, South, and Summer; prayers are made for strength and
maturity, and offerings are made to the ancestors.

* 6/22: Day a court declared slavery inconsistent with English common
law, freeing a fugitive slave and serving as a catalyst for the
abolitionist movement (1772). [See Wikipedia articles
on Somerset v
Stewart and
Abolitionism.]

* 6/25: Day the Supreme Court recognized that government-sponsored
prayer in public schools imposes religion on students and violates the
First Amendment Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution (1962). [Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)] [Text
of case] [Text
of First Amendment] [Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) also guarantee freedom from coercion that would impair freedom
of religion and prohibit discrimination on account of religion.]

* 6/26: Day torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
or punishment were outlawed world-wide (1987); day to mourn their
continued existence. [Torture is an illegal, immoral,
and ineffective means of interrogation and punishment. All officials have a
legal duty and moral obligation to refuse an order to commit torture and to
prevent it from occurring. Anyone who attempts, conspires, or commits torture is
legally culpable. All acts of torture should be investigated, prosecuted, and
punished. Neither war nor civil strife nor emergency justifies torture.] [Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment: adopted 12/10/1984; signed 2/4/1985; entered into force
6/26/1987.] [Text of
Convention] [The
Committee Against
Torture monitors implementation of the Convention. For more information, see
U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights website;
Human Rights Watch website.] [Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Article 7 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) also guarantee freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment.] [See
U.N. website on Torture
Victims' Day.] [a/k/a International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture]

* 6/27: Day to meditate on the obscenity of violence, on its
corruptive influence on children and adults, and on its adverse impact
on our families, communities, country, and world. [Violence includes child abuse, spousal abuse, elder abuse,
and animal abuse. Violence includes robbery, assault, rape, torture, dismemberment, and
murder. Violence includes hate crimes and terrorist attacks.] [Day the Supreme
Court ruled that children have a right to access violent video games over their
parents' objection, giving violent "speech" the same protection as political
"speech" instead of recognizing it as "obscenity" which is accorded no
protection.] [Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, _ U.S. _ (2011)]
[Text of case]

* 6/27: Day the International Criminal Court indicted Libya's Moammar
Gaddafi for crimes against humanity for ordering the imprisonment and
killing of hundreds of dissidents and demonstrators against his regime
(2011). Also indicted were Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and
Gaddafi's chief of military intelligence, Abdullah Senussi. [Gaddafi ruled Libya from
1969 (when he ousted King Idris) until he was overthrown and killed on 10/20/2011. He was never
elected leader of Libya.] [All who detain or harm peaceful
dissidents or demonstrators should be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.]
[Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Text of Covenant)
guarantee freedom of expression and assembly.]

* 6/28: First day of the Stonewall riot (1969); day to mourn victims
of homophobia (past and present), make peace, and celebrate lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender empowerment. [Rioting occurred June
28-29, 1969. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders participated in
the riots, following a raid on the Stonewall Inn, an LGBT hang-out in
Greenwich Village, New York.]

* 6/28: Day the Supreme Court concluded that, to avoid violating the
Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,
the law (1) must have a legitimate secular purpose, (2) its primary
effect must neither advance nor inhibit religion, and (3) it must not
result in excessive entanglement with religion (1971). [The Establishment Clause was intended to prevent any religion from
using governmental powers to impose its beliefs or practices on nonadherents.] [Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403
U.S. 602 (1971)] [Text
of case] [Text
of First Amendment] [Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) also guarantee freedom from coercion that would impair freedom
of religion and prohibit discrimination on account of religion.]

* 6/28: Day the Supreme Court ruled that prisoners held at Guantanamo
Bay Detention Camp have the right to challenge their detention in U.S.
courts (2004). [Rasul v. Bush, 542 U.S. 466 (2004)] [Text
of case] [Subsequently, the Supreme Court ruled that the military
commission lacked authority to proceed with trials of detainees because its
structure and procedures violate both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and
the Geneva Convention.] [Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006)] [Text
of case] [As of that date, over 500 men, including juveniles and elderly men, had been held
at the U.S. prison since 1/2002 without being accorded the rights due to them
under international law, including access to legal counsel and a trial heard by
a neutral judge. Though many were taken prisoner in the conflict in Afghanistan,
they have not been recognized as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.]
[For more information, see CBC analysis:
Guantanamo Bay History.] [The UN Rapporteur on Torture is investigating claims of arbitrary
detention and torture.]
[See Center for Constitutional Rights
website concerning efforts to protect the rights of the Guantanamo Bay
detainees.] [President Barack Obama announced his intention to close Guantanamo
Bay Detention Camp on 1/21/2009, but has yet to do so.]

* 7/1: Canada Day--Day to celebrate the union of diverse peoples,
languages, cultures, and religions into one nation. [On 7/1/1867, the
British Parliament united the British North American colonies of Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada (Ontario and Quebec) into a
federation.] [Canada includes 50 distinct indigenous peoples, in
addition to those of English and French descent and more recent
immigrants, each with its own language, culture, and religion.] [a/k/a
Fete du Canada, Dominion Day, Le Jour de Confederation]

* 7/1: Day the International Criminal Court came into being to
prosecute those who commit acts of genocide, crimes against humanity,
international terrorism, and war crimes (2002). [Anyone who plans,
orders, or carries out such an act (even if ordered to) is legally
culpable. The I.C.C. is a politically neutral tribunal, governed by
international (and U.S.) standards of due process.] [The I.C.C. Statute
was adopted on 7/17/1998; it entered into force on 7/1/2002.] [The U.S.
has refused to ratify the statute creating this Court. Day to lobby for
U.S. ratification.]

* 7/2: Day discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, and
religion was prohibited in public accommodations, employment, and
education (1964).
[The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.]
[Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241, 42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.] [Text
of statute] [Title II prohibits discrimination in public accommodations,
Title III and Title VI prohibit discrimination by local governments, Title IV
and Title IX prohibit discrimination in education, and Title VII prohibits
discrimination in employment.] [For information on fighting discrimination based on
"race" and "color", see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website, and for information on fighting discrimination based
on national origin, see
U.S. E.E.O.C.
website. For information on fighting discrimination based on gender
(including sexual harassment), see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website. For
information on fighting discrimination based on religion, see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website.]

* 7/4: U.S. Independence Day--Day to celebrate the right of all
peoples to exercise peaceful, democratic self-determination. [Day the
Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress in 1776.] [Text
of Declaration of Independence] [Day to celebrate the union of diverse
peoples, languages, cultures, and religions into one nation. The U.S. includes
561 distinct indigenous tribes, in addition to people of European, African, Asian,
Oceanic, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern descent, each with its own language, culture, and religion.]

* 7/9: Vigil for peace, justice, democratic government, and respect
for the human rights of all in South Sudan. [For a long time, the
Nuer and Murle tribes have been killing each other, abducting each other's women
and children, and taking each other's cattle. Because of mutual attacks in 2011,
the Nuers have
threatened to kill all the Murles.] [South Sudan President Salva
Kiir is ethnic Dinka; former Vice President Riek Machar is ethnic Nuer. On
7/23/2013, Kiir dismissed Machar, along with the rest of the cabinet. Machar
accused Kiir of attempting to establish a dictatorship. On 12/15/2013, Kiir
ordered all non-Dinka government soldiers disarmed. When they realized that the
Dinka soldiers were not being disarmed, the Nuer soldiers rearmed themselves and
began fighting the Dinka soldiers. Kiir claimed this to be an attempted coup
d'etat by Machar, but Machar denied that. Dinka soldiers attacked Nuer
government officials and began killing Nuer civilians. After fleeing an attack
on his residence, Machar led troops against Kiir's Dinka army. Machar's army has
also targeted Dinka civilians. 10,000 civilians have been killed; a
million have been displaced. Children have been abducted and forced to fight.
Both sides have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Though a
ceasefire was agreed to on 1/23/2014, it was frequently violated. A peace plan
was agreed to on 2/1/2015.] [See
Wikipedia articles on
Ethnic Violence in South Sudan 2011-Present and
South Sudanese
Civil War.] [For information on the human rights situation in South Sudan,
see Human Rights Watch report:
South Sudan;
Amnesty International report: South Sudan.] [7/9 is South Sudan's
Independence Day, when it seceded from Sudan in 2011.]

* 7/10: Day the World Union for Progressive Judaism was founded
(1926). It was formed to promote progressive values within Judaism,
including modernism, pluralism, equality, and social justice, and to
serve Reform, Reconstructionist, and Liberal Jews around the world. [Its
headquarters was moved from the U.K. to Israel in 1973, enabling it to found Progressive
Jewish congregations, kibbutzim, and settlements there.] [See
World Union for Progressive Judaism website and
Israel Movement for Progressive
Judaism website.]

* 7/11: Baha'i Rights Day--Vigil for the end of persecution of
Baha'is in Iran. In Iran, Baha'is are prohibited from practicing or
teaching their religion, are arbitrarily arrested and detained for long
periods, are excluded from universities, and have their property
confiscated. [The
Baha'i Faith was founded in Iran by an Iranian, and many Baha'is are Iranian and
reside in Iran. Some
Muslims consider Baha'is to be Muslim apostates and refuse to recognize their
religion.] [See Baha'i website and
Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights
website documenting mistreatment of Baha'is in Iran.] [Articles 2 and 18
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 7/12: Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne (1690); vigil for true
peace, justice, religious tolerance, and equal rights for all in
Northern Ireland.
[The
Battle of the Boyne, which marked the defeat of Catholic James II by Protestant
William III, occurred on 7/12/1690. Following this defeat, the law discriminated
against Catholics.] [Protestants annually celebrate their victory over Catholics
on this date, providing an impetus to civil strife. Day to demand the end of
hostility between Protestants and Catholics and for religious tolerance of all
Christians by all Christians.] [While some Protestants oppressed Catholics,
others actively opposed it. While some Catholics participated in terrorism
against Protestants, others actively opposed it. It is immoral to hold all
Protestants/Catholics responsible for acts committed by some
Protestants/Catholics.] [Protestants and Catholics
committed to peaceful coexistence, power-sharing, and disarmament by signing the
Good Friday Peace Agreement on 4/10/1998.] [For a history of the conflict, see CAIN Web Service: The Northern Ireland Conflict 1968 to the
Present; BBC News website: The Troubles.]

* 7/13: Day the #BlackLivesMatter movement began (2013). Black Lives
Matter protests against race-based violence against African-Americans.
[The hashtag was first used as a protest following
the 7/13/2013 acquittal of vigilante George Zimmerman in the unprovoked
shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012 in
Sanford, Florida. It became nationally known for street demonstrations
following the 2014 killings of two African-American men by police
officers using excessive force: Eric Garner on 7/17/2014 in New York,
New York; and Michael Brown on 8/9/2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.] [See
Black Lives
Matter website and
Wikipedia
article on Black Lives Matter.]

* 7/14: Day covert CIA agent Valerie Plame was outed by Washington
Post columnist Robert Novak (2003). Day to consider the compelling
interest in keeping information secret that would make the country (or
those who work for the government) vulnerable to attack. Revealing such
information is both illegal and immoral. [Because Ms. Plame's identity was revealed, some
of her foreign contacts are believed to have been killed. 3 Bush administration
officials gave the secret information to Novak, likely in retaliation against
Plame's husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, for revealing in a New York Times
article that the Bush administration had lied about Iraq's alleged weapons of
mass destruction to justify invasion of Iraq.] [See
Robert Novak's article;
an article about Novak's sources;
Ambassador Wilson's article. See also Valerie Plame Wilson, "Fair Game:
My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House".]

* 7/17: Day to mourn the excessive use of force by police officers;
day to mourn racism in law enforcement.
[Eric Garner was resisting arrest for illegal resale of
cigarettes on 7/17/2014, but a video of the confrontation shows that the
African-American man was not armed and was not a threat to police officers when
officer Daniel Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on him and killed him. Garner
repeatedly told the officers he could not breathe, but they did not apply CPR
after he stopped breathing. Inexplicably, on 12/3/2014, a grand jury did not
indict Pantaleo.] [A supervising officer at the scene was also African-American,
but many believe that racism is the reason why excessive force was used, why
medical aid was not rendered, and why Pantaleo was not indicted. If racism was a
factor, it constituted a hate crime. But even if racism was not a factor, it was
criminal because excessive force was used and necessary medical aid was not
rendered. The fact that the other officers present did not intercede to stop the
chokehold or to render medical aid may indicate that the policies and practices
of the entire police department are criminal.] [See
Wikipedia article on
Death of Eric Garner.] [Other 2014 incidents in which police officers have
been accused of killing people who have not posed a threat (most of whom were
African-American men): Rumain Brisbon (on 12/2/2014, in Phoenix, AZ); Tamir Rice
(on 11/22/2014, in Cleveland, OH); Akai Gurley (on 11/20/2014, in Brooklyn, NY);
Kajieme Powell (on 8/19/2014, in St. Louis, MO); Dante Parker (on 8/12/8014, in
Victorville, CA); Ezell Ford (on 8/11/8014, in Los Angeles, CA); Michael Brown
(on 8/9/2014, in Ferguson, MO); John Crawford III (on 8/5/2014, in Beavercreek,
OH); Tyree Woodson (on 8/2/2014, in, Baltimore, MD); Victor White III (on
3/22/2014, in Iberia Parish, LA); James Boyd (on 3/16/2014, in Albuquerque, NM);
Yvette Smith (on 2/16/2014, in Bastrop, TX); McKenzie Cochran (on 1/28/2014, in
Southfield, MI); Jordan Baker (on 1/16/2014, in Houston, TX).] [See
List of Unarmed People of Color Killed by Police 1999-2014 and
ProPublica article Deadly Force in Black and White.] [Police are authorized only to
use the least amount of force necessary to control the situation, make an
arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. And police are responsible
for ensuring that those who are injured receive medical aid.] [Use of lethal
force should always be closely scrutinized, and when the victim is a
member of a disempowered minority, its use should be scrutinized for bias.]

* 7/19: Day women demanded recognition of their equality to men in
the legal, political, economic, religious, and domestic spheres (Seneca
Falls, New York 1848). [Declaration of Sentiments drafted by Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and other Founding Mothers at the Women's Rights Convention
7/19-7/20/1848.] [Text
of Declaration]

* 7/23: Vigil for peace, democratic government, freedom of religion,
and respect for the human rights of all in Egypt. [The unrest
that grew out of the "Arab Spring" resulted in the resignation of President
Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi was
democratically elected president in 2012. Protests against Morsi's
authoritarianism led to a 2013 military coup d'etat, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was
elected president in 2014. Mubarak and Morsi supporters have been prosecuted and
many have been executed.] [See
Wikipedia article on Egyptian Revolution of 2011.] [For information on the
human rights situation in Egypt, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Egypt;
Amnesty International report: Egypt.] [Sunni Islam is the official religion.
Christianity and Judaism are also legally recognized. However, Christians are
subjected to attacks, harassment, and discrimination. Shi'a Muslims, Ahmadi
Muslims, and Baha'is are not recognized; they are also subjected to harassment
and discrimination.] [See
U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Egypt.] [Articles 2 and 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [Though it is officially unlawful, most women in Egypt
have been subjected to female genital mutilation. See
U.N.I.C.E.F. data.] [7/23 is Egypt's Revolution Day. It celebrates the 1952
revolution that overthrew and abolished the Egyptian monarchy, ended British
occupation, and established a republic.]

* 7/26: Day discrimination against the disabled was prohibited in
public accommodations and employment (1990); day to celebrate
empowerment of the disabled. [The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed
into law by President George H. Bush.] [Pub. L. 101-336, 104 Stat. 327, 42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.][Text of statute]
[For more information on fighting discrimination in employment based on
disability, see U.S. E.E.O.C.
website.]

* 7/26: Day to mourn the anti-Hispanic xenophobic rhetoric and
actions of the Trump administration. [Between 4/2018
and 6/2018, immigration officials separated Hispanic refugee parents
from their children at the U.S. southern border, even when they lawfully
presented themselves at the border and requested asylum. Almost 3000
children, ranging from infants to teens, were taken from their parents,
temporarily detained in cages, and housed in tents and prison-like
shelters. The separation traumatized both parents and children. Trump
administration officials implemented this policy without making any
plans for reuniting them and, in some cases, deported the parents
without reuniting them. On 7/26/2018, a federal court ordered the Trump
administration to reunite them within 30 days. Despite that, over 500
children remained in detention by the deadline.] [See
Wikipedia article on Trump Administration Family Separation Policy;
Frontline article;
Atlantic article.]

* 7/28: Day the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment went into effect,
guaranteeing due process and equal protection of the law to all (1868).
[The 14th Amendment was approved by Congress on 6/13/1866 and, after
ratification by the states, was proclaimed in effect on 7/28/1868.]
[Text
of amendment]

* 8/2: Day the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the removal of one of
many illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian private property in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank (2011). The Migron settlement was disputed
since it was first built in 1999. It was moved a short distance in 2012.
[In the West Bank, there are 102 unauthorized settlements and 121
settlements authorized by the Israeli government, housing more than
380,000 Jewish settlers. 80 were built on the private property of
Palestinians. All are illegal under international law.]

* 8/6: Day to mourn those harmed by the atomic bomb attacks on Japan
(1945); day to advocate for world-wide prohibition of all weapons of
mass destruction. [Hiroshima was bombed on 8/6/1945; Nagasaki was bombed
on 8/9/1945: over 270,000 civilians died from the bombs and radiation.]
[Use of weapons of mass destruction is now recognized to constitute a
crime against humanity and cannot be justified under any circumstances.]
[While the U.S. government bombed Japanese cities, few Americans
authorized it. Virtually all Americans alive today disapprove of the
disproportionate use of force, and many Americans at the time
disapproved as well. While it is appropriate to expect atonement from
the U.S. government, it is immoral to blame all Americans today for the
acts of the U.S. government in 1945.]

* 8/6: Day the Voting Rights Act became law (1965) - register to
vote! [The
Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.][Pub. L. 89-110, 79 Stat. 437, 42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.] [Text of statute] [The
purpose of the Voting Rights Act is to prevent state and local governments from
using voting requirements, voting district boundaries, voting locations, and
other election laws to disenfranchise African-Americans.] [Sadly, on 6/25/2013,
the Supreme Court struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act, finding
that those governments, whose discrimination against African-Americans in the past
served as the impetus for the law, would no longer have to get prior federal
approval when changing their election laws.] [Shelby County v. Holder, 570
U.S. _ (2013)] [Text
of case]

* 8/6 eve to 8/7 eve: Feast of Old Greek Goddess Artemis (Roman
Diana/Slavic Diwitsa) - as defender of rights and liberties, and
punisher of rapists and oppressors. [Metageitnion 6]

* 8/8: Vigil for continuing progress in Burma's democratic evolution,
religious tolerance, and respect for human rights. [On 8/8/1988, a pro-democracy
demonstration opposing the authoritarian military government was attacked by
government troops.] [Burma (a/k/a Myanmar) became independent in 1948. However,
a military ruler dominated Burma from 1962 to 1988, and a military junta took
control in 1988. Despite her National League for Democracy party being elected
in 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi was never allowed to serve in office. Instead, she was
held under house arrest for almost 15 years. And for 20 years, the military
junta suppressed democratic efforts and violated human rights. However, since
2008, the military junta has been making efforts towards reform. In 2010, the
first elections since 1990 were held. Though that election was not considered to
be free and fair, the military-supported civilian government that was elected
has been instituting reforms. In an election on 4/1/2012, Aung San Suu Kyi was
elected to the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house of the Burmese Parliament) and the
National League for Democracy party won most of the vacant seats.] [90% of the
population is Theravadan Buddhist. Christians and Muslims constitute the primary
religious minorities. The government has favored Buddhism. Non-Buddhists are
subjected to discrimination and pressure to convert.] [Rohingya Muslims are
being persecuted because of their ethnicity and religion. Though they are
indigenous to Rakhine State (Burma), they have been treated as foreigners and
denied citizenship since 1982. Mobs, sometimes aided by the military or police,
have targeted them with violence since 2012. Defining a country by its
ethnicity or religion is contrary to international law. Excluding an ethnic or
religious group from a country is also contrary to international law. It is also
immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by or against Buddhists, Muslims,
or another religious group.] [For
information on the human rights situation in Myanmar/Burma, see
Human Rights Watch report: Burma;
Amnesty International report: Myanmar;
U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Burma.]

* 8/9: World's Indigenous Peoples' Day--Day to celebrate the
empowerment of indigenous peoples world-wide; vigil for justice and
respect for the social, cultural, and political rights of all indigenous
peoples.
[See
U.N. website on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.]
[a/k/a International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, International
Indigenous Peoples' Day]

* 8/10: Dakas' Day--Day Tantric Buddhists make offerings to the Dakas
(male embodiments of enlightened energy) and Father Tantra; day to unite
will and power to manifest positive social change and environmental
healing. [Observed primarily by Tantric initiates.] [a/k/a Daka Puja,
Father Tantra Puja, Tsog, Tsok] [10th Tibetan day]

* 8/12 eve to 8/13 eve: Old Greek festival honoring Athena Polias and
Zeus Polios as protectors of city and state. [Metageitnion 12]

* 8/15: Day Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the
Allies, ending World War II in the Pacific (1945). [In the Pacific,
World War II was caused by Japan's expansionism. Japan colonized Korea
in 1876 and annexed it in 1910. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and
invaded China in 1937 (resulting in the Second Sino-Japanese War). In
1940, Japan invaded Indochina. In 1941, Japan attacked/invaded Pearl
Harbor, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaya. In
1942, Japan invaded Burma and attacked Ceylon. And in 1944, Japan
attacked India. During the war, millions of noncombatants were killed,
including 20 million Chinese. 200,000 Chinese and Korean women were
forced into sexual slavery. Noncombatants were also used for forced
labor and for experimentation.] [The surrender was formally signed on
9/2/1945.] [Pursuant to the peace treaty signed on 9/8/1951 (in force
4/28/1952), Japan paid war reparations between 1955 and 1977 to
countries harmed. In 1972, China waived the reparations.] [On the 50th
anniversary of the surrender, Japan's Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama
said his country had caused "tremendous damage and suffering" through
its "colonial rule and aggression" and expressed "deep remorse" and
stated his "heartfelt apology". He used a formal Japanese expression of
guilt: "owabi". On the 60th anniversary of the surrender, Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi also used the term "owabi". On the 70th anniversary,
Emperor Akihito expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's role in World War
II. But, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted past expressions of
guilt, he indicated that further apologies are not necessary. However,
China, South Korea, and North Korea do not believe that sufficient
atonement has been made.] [Vigil for true peace and justice for all.]

* 8/17: Vigil for peace, justice, religious tolerance, and respect
for the human rights of all in Indonesia. [The Indonesian
constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government officially
respects the religious freedom for 6 recognized religions: Islam, Catholicism,
Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. However, other religions
are not recognized (Sikhism, the Baha'i Faith, Judaism, and the traditional
Aliran Kepercayaan), and some are deemed "deviant" (Ahmadiyya Islam and Shi'a
Islam). In addition, the government allows members of the majority Sunni
Muslim religion to persecute minority religious groups, including Christians, Ahmadi
Muslims, and Shi'a Muslims. Members of minority groups are targeted for forced
conversion to Sunni Islam, their places of worship are destroyed, and they are
prosecuted for "blasphemy".] [See Human Rights Watch report:
Indonesia;
Amnesty International report: Indonesia;
U.S.
State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Indonesia.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [8/17 is Indonesia's Independence Day.]

* 8/19 (A 9/29): Beginning of Old Egyptian Akhet/Inundation month of
Menkhet/Paopi, dedicated to Neteru Amen-Ra-Atem and Amenet-Rait-Mut.
Priests and priestesses made offerings to the Neteru (Gods and
Goddesses) to ensure that there would be strength and freedom for all.
[Kemetic calendar (leap year)] [Alexandrian calendar 9/29 (leap year)]
[Ancient Egyptian calendar: Menkhet day 1]

* 8/19: World Humanitarian Day--Day to honor humanitarian workers
world-wide, particularly those who have lost their lives in service to
others; day to aid those in need of food, medicine, and shelter due to
natural disaster, disease outbreak, civil unrest, or poverty. [See
U.N. website on
Humanitarian Day.]

* 8/19: Birthday of Gene Roddenberry (1921). He created the
thought-provoking utopian universe of "Star Trek". [Death day
10/21/1991] [In the United Federation of Planets, all life forms were
respected; rule of law, human rights, and democracy were primary; social
equality was expected; and honor was the norm. Contrast this with the
conflict-driven anti-utopian universe of Battlestar Galactica. In the
post-holocaust Twelve Colonies of Kobol, military rule was primary; rule
of law, human rights, and democracy were expeditiously disregarded;
torture and nonjudicial killing were common; guilt was based on identity
instead of actions; and honor was virtually nonexistent.]

* 8/23: Feast of the Furies--honoring Nemesis and the Erinyes, Old
Greek Goddesses who punish murderers, abusers, and exploiters of others.
[Roman calendar]

* 8/24: Vigil for peace, democratic government, freedom from external
interference, and respect for the human rights of all in Ukraine.
[In 2/2014, the democratically-elected pro-Russian president
was ousted and a pro-European interim president took his place. Thereafter,
pro-Russian Ukrainians, with support from Russia, have fomented unrest and armed
insurgency. In Crimea, following a referendum for independence (that did not
comport with international norms) and Russian military intervention, Russia
annexed it. In the Donbass region, a separatist insurgency, armed by Russia, is
being countered by the Ukrainian government. See
Wikipedia article on Pro-Russian Unrest in Ukraine.] [For information on the
human rights situation in Ukraine, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Ukraine;
Amnesty
International report: Ukraine.] [8/24 is Ukraine's
Independence Day.]

* 8/25: Day to mourn the Iraqi attacks on civilian Kurds because of
their ethnicity (1988); vigil for justice and respect for the human
rights of the Kurdish people. [On 8/25/1988, Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government began
the fourth Anfal campaign against the Kurds in Northern Iraq using chemical
weapons. The first attack occurred on 3/16/1988. 60,000-100,000 Kurds were
killed during these campaigns.] [See Human
Rights Watch report: Genocide in Iraq.]

* 8/26: Day the U.S. Constitution's 19th Amendment went into effect,
recognizing women's right to vote (1920). [The 19th Amendment was
approved by Congress on 6/4/1919 and, after ratification by the states, was
proclaimed in effect on 8/26/1920.] [Text
of amendment] [For more information, see
Wikipedia article on the 19th Amendment.] [a/k/a Women's
Equality Day]

* 8/27: Vigil for the recognition of equal rights for women in Iran.
[Day the modern women's rights campaign "One Million
Signatures" was launched in Iran (2006). The campaign aims to end legal
discrimination against women in Iranian laws. Campaign activists have been
attacked and jailed. See Wikipedia articles on
One Million
Signatures;
Women's
Rights Movement in Iran.] [Women's rights in Iran have risen and fallen with
political change. Following the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1906, women
were educated in greater numbers and participated in public affairs. But
following the coup d'etat by Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925, women's rights were
generally truncated. Following Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's White Revolution in
1963, women were granted the right to vote and accorded some marriage
protections. Though women participated in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 that
toppled the shah, their rights were thereafter curtailed by Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The marriage protections were eliminated,
inheritance rights were undermined, women were barred from certain employment,
sex-segregation was imposed, and an Islamic dress code was mandated. Since 1989,
under Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, women's rights have improved somewhat,
but legal inequalities continue, and domestic violence and child marriage
continue to be problems. Despite legal limitations, women attain university
education and employment in large numbers. See
Wikipedia article
on Women's Rights in Iran. See also
Wikipedia
article on Domestic Violence in Iran;
Justice for Iran article on Early and Forced Marriages in the Islamic Republic
of Iran.]

* 8/27: Birthday of Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (1910),
Catholic nun who served the poorest of the poor and saw Deity in each
person. She witnessed her faith by example, rather than by
proselytizing, and respected those of other faiths. ["We are supposed to
preach without preaching, not by words, but by our example, by our
actions." Quoted from "Mother Teresa, Words to Live By" p. 72 (Ave Maria
Press, 1983).] ["There is only one God and He is God to all ... everyone
is seen as equal before God. I've always said we should help a Hindu
become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim.... I have never
found a problem with people from different religions praying together."
Quoted from "Mother Teresa: A Simple Path" pp. 31-32, 59, xix
(Ballantine Books, 1995).] [Death day 9/5/1997]

* 8/28: Day of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s peaceful march on
Washington, D.C., for recognition of the rights of African Americans
(1963). [Rev. King made his inspiring "I have a dream" speech at this
rally.]

* 9/2: Labor Day--Day to reflect on the sacredness of all work and
the value of ethical, meaningful employment. [Day to organize and
advocate for a living wage, health insurance coverage, retirement benefits, and
family-friendly benefits for all.] [Articles 23 to 25 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 22 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
just and favorable pay and working conditions and guarantee the right to
form/join trade unions to advocate for them.]

* 9/3: Day Pope John Paul II beatified symbols of progressive
religious authority (Pope John XXIII) and autocratic religious authority
(Pope Pius IX) (2000). [Pope John XXIII instigated the reforms of the
Vatican II Council in 1962, and advocated freedom of religion, peace, and social
justice. Pope Pius IX adopted the doctrine of papal infallibility at the Vatican
I Council in 1870, and rejected the doctrines of separation of church and state,
freedom of religion, and freedom of speech in his Syllabus of Errors in 1864.]
[See articles by
American Catholic (about Pope John XXIII) and
National Catholic Reporter (about Pope Pius IX).]

* 9/11: Day terrorists killed over 3,000 innocent civilians of many
ethnicities and religions from 86 nations (2001); day to mourn all
victims of terrorism. [Al-Qaeda terrorists, using passenger planes,
struck the World Trade Center (in New York, N.Y.) and the Pentagon (outside
Washington, D.C.). Because passengers on a fourth plane resisted, to prevent it
from being used as a weapon, it was crashed near Shanksville, P.A.] [For statements by Muslims
around the world condemning the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 as horrific and
un-Islamic, see
Muslim Voices Against Extremism and Terrorism;
Islamic
Statements Against Terrorism; Muslims
Condemn Terrorist Attacks.] [Fatwas (religious edicts) condemning terrorism have been issued
by Muslim clerics. Saudi Arabia's leading Islamic authority (the Permanent Committee of Religious Research
and Ifta) issued a fatwa
against terrorism on 6/7/2004, contending
that terrorism is forbidden under Islam and constitutes a severe form of
injustice. The Spanish Islamic Commission issued a fatwa
condemning terrorism on 3/11/2005, and called Osama bin Laden an apostate.
The U.K.'s Sunni Council issued a fatwa
against terrorism on 7/17/2005, indicating that killing others is a sin and
that suicide bombers will go to hell. The British Muslim Forum issued a fatwa condemning terrorism on
7/18/2005, indicating that terrorist acts are contrary to Islam.
The Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa against terrorism on 7/28/2005,
indicating that all terrorist acts targeting civilians are forbidden in Islam.]
[Al-Qaeda terrorists have struck other targets. See list of
Al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks.] [For international efforts
against terrorism (which constitutes a crime against humanity), see U.N. Action
to Counter
Terrorism.] [For incidents in which governments have used the fight
against terrorism as an excuse to suppress civil liberties, see Human
Rights Watch website.] [While some Muslims commit terrorist acts, most
Muslims do not; and most Muslims do not authorize or approve of the terrorist
acts committed. While it is appropriate to hold accountable the individuals,
organizations, and governments that commit or fund the terrorists acts, it is
immoral to blame all Muslims for the acts of a few.]

* 9/12: Day presidential candidate John Kennedy said to religious
leaders: absolute separation of church and state is a necessity; no
religious leader should be allowed to dictate to a President, to other
public officials, or to voters concerning public policy; no religious
institution should be given political power; no religious school should
be given public funds; and no one should be subject to religious
intolerance or discrimination (1960).
[President Kennedy was the first non-Protestant President of the U.S.] [Transcript
of speech]

* 9/13: Day to mourn the subjection of women and girls in the U.S. to
rape, domestic violence, and other gender-based violence. [The
Violence Against Women Act (V.A.W.A.) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton
on 9/13/1994.] [Pub. L. 103-322, 108 Stat. 1902, 42 U.S.C. 13701 et seq.] [Text
of statute ] [For more information on violence against women in the U.S.,
see Feminist.com
website. For help surviving violence, see
WomensHealth.gov website.]

* 9/15: International Day of Democracy--Day to celebrate democratic
systems of government throughout the world, bound by rule of law,
principles of human rights, and civilian control. Day to affirm
democracy's compatibility with all peoples, all cultures, and all
religions. [In a democracy,
both military and police are subject to rule of law and subordinate to civilian
government. The military exists to protect the lawful civilian government and
civilians; the police exists to enforce the law and protect people from
criminals.] [See
U.N. website on
International Day of Democracy.] [a/k/a Democracy Day]

* 9/16: Mexican Independence Day--Day to celebrate the union of
diverse peoples, languages, cultures, and religions into one nation.
[Grito de la Independencia (Cry of Independence) a/k/a. Grito de Dolores
(Cry of Dolores) a/k/a El Grito (the Cry) marked the beginning of
Mexico's War of Independence from Spain, which was ultimately won on
9/27/1821. This pronouncement, asserting freedom from corrupt government
and freedom of religion, was made on 9/16/1810 by Fr. Miguel Hidalgo y
Costilla in the town of Dolores.] [Mexico includes 62 distinct
indigenous peoples, in addition to those of Spanish descent and more
recent immigrants, each with its own language, culture, and religion.]

* 9/17: Constitution Day--Day the U.S. Constitution was signed at the
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1787), ensuring
that the U.S. would be a democracy governed by the rule of law. [Under the U.S. Constitution, each branch of
government serves as a check on the powers of the other branches to prevent any
one branch from abusing its power and undermining the rule of law.] [See
Constitution Center website on Constitution Day.]

* 9/17: Day the populist "Occupy Wall Street" movement began (2011).
It spread to cities throughout the U.S. and around the world.
[The peaceful "occupiers" are protesting the undue and
corrupting influence of wealthy corporations on government officials and the
bail-out of failing financial institutions whose CEOs continue to be rewarded
exorbitant salaries. They are also demanding regulation of financial
institutions and greater taxation of the ultra-rich.] [All who detain or harm
peaceful dissidents or demonstrators should be investigated, prosecuted, and
punished.] [The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of
expression and assembly. ] [Text
of First Amendment] [Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Text of Covenant)
similarly guarantee freedom of expression and assembly.]

* 9/20: U.S. Military Coming-Out Day. [The Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Repeal Act of 2010 was signed into law by President Barack Obama on
12/22/2010. (Pub. L. 111-321, 124 Stat. 3515, 10 U.S.C. 654.) It ended
the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, which has prevented openly gay and
lesbian people from serving in the U.S. military since 1993. Following
sensitivity training, the law came into full effect on 9/20/2011.]

* 9/21: International Day of Peace--Day to demonstrate for peace with
justice throughout the world. [Peace can be realized where there is
recognition of sovereignty/autonomy, compliance with just law, respectful
behavior, responsible sharing of resources, cooperation to attain common goals,
and reasonable compromise to enable all to meet lawful goals.] [See
International
Day of Peace website; International Day
of Peace Vigil website.]

* 9/22: Day Congress affirmed freedom of religion by prohibiting
discrimination against religious institutions in the context of zoning
laws and guaranteeing free exercise of religion in prisons (2000).
[The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) was
signed into law by President Bill Clinton.] [Pub. L. 106-274, 114 Stat. 803, 42
U.S.C. 2000cc, et seq.] [Text
of statute] [For more information on RLUIPA, see
U.S. D.O.J. website;
Wikipedia article on RLUIPA.]

* 9/23: Vigil for freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia.
[Sunni Islam is the official religion. Members of other Muslim sects (Shi'a,
Sufi, and Ahmadi Muslims) and non-Muslim religions cannot publicly practice
their religions; private worship is also subject to punishment. Most non-Muslims
in Saudi Arabia are guest workers. They include Christians, Jews, Hindus,
Buddhists, and Sikhs. While many countries have official religions, most allow
minority religions some rights and freedoms.] [See
U.S. State
Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Saudi Arabia.]
[Defining a country by its religion is contrary to international law. Excluding
or disempowering another religious group is also contrary to international law.
It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by or against Muslims,
Christians, Jews, or another religious group.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [9/23 is Saudi Arabia's National Day.]

* 9/28: Birthday of Confucius (K'ung Fu-Tzu) (551 BCE). He taught
that societal harmony could be realized when individuals acted with
loving care for family, concern for friends and neighbors, benevolence
to strangers, and respect for all. [Founder of Confucianism.] [Death day
11/29/479 BCE]

* 9/29: Feast of Michael, Angel of Protection, and Uriel, Angel of
Justice.

* 10/1: Day Russia enacted the Law on Freedom of Conscience and
Religious Associations (1997); vigil for the end of persecution of
Protestants and Catholics by Orthodox Christians and for religious
tolerance of all Christians by all Christians. [Though the law endorses freedom of
religion and separation of religion and government, it also requires religious
groups to register with the government and allows government officials to
decline to register disfavored groups.] [The Russian Orthodox Church was
persecuted under Communism, but it has been made the de facto official religion
of post-communist Russia, and has been instrumental in the persecution of
non-Orthodox Christians. Russia has forced some non-Orthodox churches to close
and given their property to the Russian Orthodox Church. Though Judaism, Islam,
and Buddhism are identified as "traditional" religions, adherents of
these faiths are also targeted for discrimination and harassment.
Adherents of religions deemed "non-traditional" (e.g., Jehovah's
Witnesses and Scientology) are persecuted or harassed.] [See
U.S. State
Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Russia.] [Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 10/2: Non-Violence Day--Day to assess your exposure to violence in
all its forms and to purge it from your life. Avoid mean aggressive
people and conflict-driven "entertainment".
[Exposure to violence fosters acceptance of violence. Violence is immoral and is
justified only when absolutely necessary in defense of self or others, with
minimum force. Violence is not an effective means for dealing with differences,
disagreement, or conflict. Violence breeds violence.] [See
U.N. website on
International Day of Non-Violence. See also
Nonviolence International website. (Nonviolence International works to
foster peace and reduce violence world-wide and advocates non-violent activism
to promote positive social change.)] [a/k/a International Day of Non-Violence,
World Non-Violence Day]

* 10/2: Birthday of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi (1869), Hindu advocate
for human rights and self-reliance, who practiced active non-violent
resistance to injustice. [Gandhi envisioned a world where women and
untouchables would be empowered and respected. Gandhi envisioned a world
where members of all faiths (including Hindus, Muslims, and Christians)
would live harmoniously together.] [Death day 1/30/1948] [a/k/a Gandhi
Jayanti]

* 10/7: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Afghanistan. [The Afghanistan War officially lasted from
10/7/2001 to 12/28/2014 (when the U.S./N.A.T.O. formally transferred full
security responsibility to the Afghan government).] [The Taliban, a Pashtun
Islamist terrorist organization led by Mullah Mohammad Omar, controlled much of
Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They were supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
and United Arab Emirates. They were allied with Al-Qaeda, and hosted Osama Bin
Laden until he relocated to Pakistan. They systematically massacred civilians
when taking control of an area. They imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on
Afghanis under their control, some of it not based on the Qur'an or Sharia.
Women and girls were barred from education and employment and were required to
wear burqas and be accompanied by male relatives when they left home. Women were
treated with brutality when they did not obey. Non-Pashtun women were sold into
sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). The Afghan Northern Alliance (a/k/a the
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan) opposed the Taliban. The
U.S./N.A.T.O. intervened in 2001. Though ousted from power in late 2001, the
Taliban continued to fight the Afghan government and allies. The war has
continued since the allies' official withdrawal.] [See Wikipedia articles on the
Taliban, the
Taliban
Treatment of Women, the
War
in Afghanistan (1996-2001), the
War in
Afghanistan (2001-2014), and the
War in
Afghanistan (2015-present).] [For information on the human
rights situation in Afghanistan, see
Human Rights Watch report:
Afghanistan;
Amnesty International report: Afghanistan.] [The Taliban violates Islam's
prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate
Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to treat women with
respect, and violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.]

* 10/9: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Uganda. [Following the military coup d'etat by
Yoweri Museveni and his National Resistance Army (N.R.A.) in 1986, the N.R.A.
attacked ethnic groups in northern Uganda. The Lord's Resistance Army (L.R.A.),
was founded by Alice Lakwena in 1987 to defend the Acholi people there. It has
been led by Joseph Kony since 1987. The L.R.A. is a Christian extremist
organization that wants to overthrow the Museveni government and install a
"Christian" government in Uganda. (Christianity is the predominant religion in
Uganda, though there is a significant Muslim minority.) In addition to attacking
the Ugandan military, the L.R.A. has attacked Ugandan villages, killing and
mutilating civilian adults, raping and forcing women into sexual slavery, and
forcing children to serve as soldiers. In 2005, the International Criminal Court
issued arrest warrants for Joseph Kony and his top commanders. They were charged
with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, rape, sexual
slavery, and recruiting child soldiers. However, Kony has eluded capture.
Between 2006 and 2008, peace talks occurred, but failed. The L.R.A. was weakened
by coordinated attacks on its camps in late 2008 and forced to relocate to the
remote border areas of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.), the
Central African Republic (C.A.R.), and South Sudan. Though fewer in number, attacks continue.] [See
Wikipedia articles on the
National Resistance Movement and on the
Lord's
Resistance Army.] [For information on the human rights situation in
Uganda, see Human Rights
Watch report: Uganda;
Amnesty International report: Uganda.] [Though the Lord's Resistance
Army purports to be Christian and wants to enforce the 10 Commandments as law in
Uganda, it violates the commandment "thou shalt not kill" and Jesus' commandment
to "love your neighbor as yourself".] [10/9 is Uganda's Independence Day. Uganda
became independent from Britain in 1962, and became a republic in 1963. Milton
Obote took control following independence. He was deposed by Idi Amin in 1971,
who committed many atrocities. Milton Obote returned to power in 1979, but was
deposed by General Tito Okello in 1985, who was in turn deposed by Yoweri
Museveni.]

* 10/9: Day to mourn the Pakistani Taliban's attempted assassination
of a 15-year-old girl because she advocated for the education of girls
(2012).
[Malala Yousufzai's parents run schools in the northwest part
of Pakistan where the Pakistani Taliban (a/k/a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and
T.T.P.), has been fighting Pakistani forces and has sometimes been in control.
The Pakistani Taliban are opposed to the education of girls. Malala blogged for
the BBC about life under the Pakistani Taliban and opposed the closure of
schools by them. See Wikipedia articles on
Malala Yousafzai,
the Pakistani
Taliban, and the
War in
Northwest Pakistan.] [The Pakistani Taliban violates Islam's prohibition against taking
innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other
views, violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect, and violates
Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.]

* 10/11: Birthday of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884), advocate for
world-wide recognition of the rights of all. [Death day 11/7/1962]

* 10/12 (Obs. 10/14): Columbus Day--Commemorates Europeans'
colonization of America (1492); day to mourn Native American victims of
conquest and oppression (past and present), make peace, and celebrate
empowerment of Native Americans. [While some Europeans brutally
subjugated the indigenous peoples of the Americas (North and South) in
the past, not all Europeans at the time approved of that subjugation.
And no ethnic European alive today participated in that subjugation.
While it is appropriate to expect atonement from the governments of the
countries that participated, it is immoral to blame all ethnic Europeans
today for the evil committed by some Europeans in the past.] [a/k/a
Native Americans' Day, Natiomal Indigenous Peoples' Day, Indigenous
Peoples' Day, Dia de la Raza (Mexico), Thanksgiving Day
(Canada)]

* 10/12: Day the first woman was ordained a Methodist minister in the
U.S. (1880). [Rev. Anna Howard Shaw]

* 10/15: Day the #MeToo movement began (2017). Me Too protests
against sexual assault and sexual harassment of women by powerful men.
[The hashtag is used to show solidarity with women who publicly accuse
the perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment. The movement began by
showing solidarity for the women victimized by Hollywood mogul Harvey
Weinstein and others in the film industry. But it has since been used to
support women publicly charging other powerful men -- in music, media,
government, the military, religious institutions, academia, sports,
fashion, and finance -- with sexual impropriety.] [Actress Alyssa Milano
sent the tweet that received 55,000 replies, was posted 85 million times
on Facebook during the following 45 days, and has been active in 85
countries.] [See Me Too Movement
website and
Wikipedia article on Me Too Movement.]

* 10/17 eve to 10/20 eve: Apaturia--Old Greek festival in which
newcomers and children were welcomed into the community.
[Pyanepsion
19-21]

* 10/21: Day military attacks on civilians were outlawed world-wide
(1950); day to mourn all civilian victims of war. [All soldiers have
a legal duty and a moral obligation to refuse an order to attack a noncombatant. Anyone who plans,
orders, or carries out such an act is legally culpable. All attacks on
noncombatants should be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.] [Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War a/k/a Fourth Geneva Convention: signed 8/12/1949; entered into
force 10/21/1950.][Text of Convention]
[See Wikipedia
article on Fourth Geneva Convention.]

* 10/23: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights
of all in Libya. [Moammar Gaddafi was ousted from power following a
civil war that commenced on 2/17/2011. Since Gaddafi's death on 10/20/2011, a
transitional government was formed, and the General National Congress (GNC) was
elected in 2012. Another election was held in 2014 to replace the GNC with the
Council of Deputies. The validity of this election was challenged because voting
did not occur in some areas due to fighting. The members of the Islamist Justice
and Development Party who were not re-elected declared a "New General National
Congress" on 8/25/2014. The Islamists, supported by the Libya Dawn (Fajr Libya)
militias have been fighting the elected government. On 10/5/2014, other militias
pledged allegiance to "Islamic State" and have since occupied Libyan territory
and committed terrorist attacks and atrocities.] [See Wikipedia articles on the
Libyan Civil War
(2011) and the
Second Libyan Civil War (2014-Present).] [10/23 is Libya's Liberation day,
which was declared following Moammar Gaddafi's death.]

* 10/24: Day the first woman was ordained a Presbyterian minister in
the U.S. (1956). [Rev. Margaret Ellen Towner]

* 10/27: Day to mourn the continuing violence perpetrated
against Jewish-Americans by anti-Semites. [On 10/27/2018, anti-Semite
Robert Bowers shot and killed 11 worshippers during a Shabbat prayer
service at the Tree of Life Synagogue, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Bowers espoused hatred for Jews. He used 3 firearms, including a
semi-automatic rifle, a military weapon that has no legal civilian use.] [See
Wikipedia article on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.]

* 10/31: Day to mourn the women tortured and killed as "witches"
because of their independence, wealth, wisdom, or religion.

* 11/1: World Community Day--Day for celebrating the unity behind
diversity and remembering we are all one people - all children of the
one universal Deity of many names and aspects.

* 11/3: Christian feast of St. Martin of Porres (d. 1639), healer and
advocate of social equality and inter-ethnic harmony; guide of healers
and human rights activists.

* 11/5: Election Day--remember to vote! The only way to ensure a
healthy democracy is to have full participation by the electorate in
choosing government decision makers. [A democratic government can be
lawful only where there is a free and fair election and all adult
citizens can vote and run for office.]

* 11/6: Day a Muslim woman first defied a ban on women entering the
mosque by the front door and praying in the main hall (2003). [In the Morgantown, West
Virginia, mosque, as in many mosques in the United States and elsewhere, women
are required to enter by a back door and pray in a separate room. Asra Nomani,
the author of "Standing Alone in Mecca", began a movement to desegregate
mosques throughout the United States. See
media accounts of Asra Nomani's
efforts.]
[For scholarly discussions of gender equality in Islam, see
"Members, One of
Another: Gender Equality & Justice in Islam" by Riffat Hassan and
"Gender Equity in Islam" by
Jamal Badawi Ph.D. For an examination of the feminist movement in Islam, see
"Inside the Gender Jihad: Womens Reform in Islam" by Amina Wadud.]

* 11/7: Anniversary of the first Re-Imagining Conference, where
worship of Holy Spirit Wisdom was introduced to mainstream Christianity
(1993).
[This conference was organized by the Women's Ministry Unit
of the Presbyterian Church USA. 24 other Christian churches and organizations
also participated. 2200 Christian leaders, scholars, clergy, and laity attended
the conference between 11/4/1993 and 11/7/1993 to address the problem of
patriarchy in the church and in society. Following the conference, there was
backlash against its organizers, who were accused of heresy.] [See
Wikipedia article on the Re-Imagining Conference.]

* 11/8 eve to 11/9 eve: Mawlid al-Nabi--Day commemorating the birth
of Muslim Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (570). He conceived Deity
to be a compassionate, genderless unity. [The Prophet's full name was
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim.]
[While many Sufis consider Allah to be gender-inclusive and some Muslims
of all denominations consider Allah to be gender-neutral, most Muslims
consider Allah to be exclusively male.] [a/k/a Mawlid an-Nabi,
Milad-un-Nabi, Miladun-Nabi] [Rabi' al-Awwal 12]

*
11/9: Day to mourn the violence perpetrated against Muslim-Americans by
Islamophobic Christian extremists. [Leading a group called the
“Crusaders”, Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright, and Patrick Stein planned to
bomb a mosque and kill its Somali immigrant congregants, on 11/9/2016,
in Garden City, Kansas. They espoused hatred for Muslims and hoped to
start a religious war. The attack was discovered and they were arrested
before it was carried out.] [See
Washington Post article;
New York Magazine article.]

* 11/9 eve: Krystallnacht--Night of the Nazi attacks on Jewish homes,
synagogues, and shops in Germany, beginning the persecution that would
end with the deaths of six million Jews (1938); night for meditating on
the evil of all religion-based hatred.

* 11/11: Veterans Day--Day to honor all warriors who have defended us
against evil of all kinds.

* 11/11: Death day of Lucretia Mott (1880), Quaker preacher and
non-violent advocate for the rights of women and African Americans.
[Birthday 1/3/1793]

* 11/16: Tolerance Day--Day to promote harmony in diversity through
mutual respect and understanding of all, regardless of gender, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, nationality, or
economic status.
[Despite international and domestic laws providing
for equal rights, freedoms, and protections, members of minority groups are
still harassed and discriminated against
because of societal intolerance arising from fear and ignorance.] [Intolerance
often results from projection of "collective guilt": it is immoral to blame an
entire group for the acts of a member unless the entire group empowered the member who acted or endorsed the acts.] [See
U.N. website on
International Day for Tolerance;
Wikipedia
article on Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.] [a/k/a International Day
for Tolerance]

* 11/20: Transgender Remembrance Day--Day to mourn those killed
because of their transgender identity. [Transgender people should be
treated with respect and compassion. Laws should recognize "transgender"
as a third gender and prohibit discrimination, harassment, and violence
against transgender people.] [India recognizes "transgender" to be a
third gender.] [a/k/a Transgender Day of Remembrance]

* 12/1: World AIDS Day--Day to pray for healing of all those
suffering with AIDS and HIV. [For information on World AIDS Day, see World
AIDS Day website. For information about the global fight against AIDS, see UNAIDS
website.]

* 12/6: Day the Babri Mosque was destroyed by a Hindu mob in Ayodhya,
India (1992); day to mourn willful destruction of any place of worship.
Places of worship of all religions should be respected by all.
[Prior to
its construction in 1528, the mosque had been a Hindu temple that marked
the birthplace of the God Rama. That temple had been destroyed by Babur
as part of his effort to conquer and Islamize the area. 2000 Hindu
temples were allegedly destroyed by him. The Indian government has since
divided the land to allow construction of both a mosque and a temple.]

* 12/7: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for mindfully seeing and
acting with compassion for the poor and oppressed.

* 12/11: Day to mourn the harm done by the Mexican drug cartels.
[The cartels are at war with each other. And the Mexican
military and federal police are at war with the cartels. Innocent bystanders are
often killed. Some are targeted to terrorize the population. The cartels commit
murder, robbery, extortion, abduction for ransom, and abduction for forced
labor. In addition to trafficking drugs, the cartels traffic firearms and women
for forced prostitution. Many corrupt local police and government officials work
for them.] [See
Wikipedia article on the Mexican Drug War.] [The cartels bring 70% of all
drugs into the U.S. If you buy marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines,
you are funding this violence and allowing drugs to ruin many lives in addition
to your own.] [12/11/2006 was the day that the Mexican government declared "war"
on the drug cartels.]

* 12/12: First appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of God and
Mother of the Oppressed, at the former shrine of Aztec Moon Goddess
Coatlicue (Mexico 1531).

* 12/17: Day fruit vendor (and university graduate) Mohamed Bouazizi
immolated himself to protest police extortion and harassment of small
businesses (2010). [This began the "Arab Spring" revolutions that
toppled corrupt autocratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen,
which recognized few legal rights, freedoms, or protections. In response to
protests, governments in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Algeria, Iraq,
and Lebanon, have made some political reforms or leadership changes. See
Wikipedia article on Arab
Spring.]

* 12/18: Day the U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment went into effect,
outlawing all slavery (1865). [The 13th Amendment was approved by
Congress on 1/31/1865 and, after ratification by the states, was proclaimed in
effect on 12/18/1865.] [Text
of amendment]

* 12/18: Day the United Nations General Assembly proposed the
Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (2009). It
condemns violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion,
stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation or gender
identity. [The declaration has not
been signed by a majority of United Nations members, and some countries have
signed an opposing declaration.] [See
Wikipedia article.]

* 12/22: Birthday of Lily Montagu (1873), who co-founded Liberal
Judaism in the U.K. in 1902. She was the first Jewish woman to serve as
lay minister, both officiating and preaching. [Death day 1/22/1963] [She
advocated reforms in the service, including use of English as well as Hebrew,
use of musical instruments, and allowing men and women to sit together. Liberal
Judaism stresses ethical conduct above ritual observance, affirms each
individual's freedom to act in accordance with conscience, and recognizes the
full equality and participation of men and women.] [See
Jewish Women's
Archive article on Lily Montagu.]

* 12/23: Birthday of Joseph Smith (1805), founder of the Mormon
Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). He promoted a
religion that was egalitarian and communitarian, and worshipped Deity as
a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. [Death day 6/27/1844]

* 12/24 eve to 12/25 eve: Celebration day for Muhyi ad-Din Ibn
El-Arabi (d. 1240), Sufi saint who honored Deity as a unity manifested
in all Nature, both genders, and countless forms. He theorized about
divine immanence ("Allah is Nature, and Nature Allah"), divine
transcendence ("Allah is above Nature, which Allah created"), and the
unity of being. [El-Arabi lived in Spain and wrote "Bezels of
Wisdom" and "Meccan Revelations".] [See article on Muhyi
ad-Din Ibn El-Arabi.] [a/k/a Muhyi ad-Din Ibn El-Arabi
Wissal] [Rabi' al-thani 28] [Birthday & death day unknown]

* 12/27: Day multiple Jewish denominations, human rights groups, and
the Israeli government objected to an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish group's
attempts to impose gender segregation and "modest dress" on women on
public buses and city streets (2011). Day to mourn all religious
mandates that undermine women's autonomy; day to condemn the abuse of
women who refuse to comply with them.

* 12/28: Day the first woman was ordained a Catholic priest - without
Vatican authority (1970). [Mthr. Ludmila Javorova was ordained by
Catholic Bishop Felix Maria Davidek in Czechoslovakia. Her ordination is not
recognized by the Vatican.] [See
Wikipedia
article on Ludmila Javorova. See also "Out of the Depths: The Story of
Ludmila Javorova, Ordained Roman Catholic Priest" by Miriam Therese Winter.]